Christian Promise Ring
A finger ring is a metal band worn as type of ornamental jewelry arounda finger. It is the most common current meaning of the word ring. Other types of metal bands worn as ornaments are also called \'rings,\' such as arm rings and neck rings. Rings are worn by both men and women and canbe of any quality. Rings can be made of metal, plastic, wood, bone, glass, andother materials. They may be set with a "stone" of some sort, whichis often a precious or semi-precious gemstone such as ruby, sapphire oremerald, but can also be of almost any material.
There are various methods for determining proper ring size. Some of the largest rings in the world are madefor the winning team of the Super Bowl. The unofficial record for the largestchampionship ring ever presented to a professional sports team belongs to the2003 World Series champions Florida Marlins, with a weight of over 110 grams and with over 240 stones. Rings can beworn on any finger. In Western culture, the traditional "ring finger"for the wearing of an engagement or wedding ring is the fourth finger of the left hand (with the thumb counting as finger number one). The signet ring, aring designating nobility, is commonly worn on the little (fifth) finger of theright or left hand, depending on nationality.
Promise ring:
Promise rings are given to representa promise that one person makes to another. In some cases, promise rings are forerunnersto engagement rings. While the latter represents a promise to marry, promiserings can stand for many other kinds of vows. Some promise rings do featuresmall diamonds, but any ring can represent a promise. If the ring is wideenough, the giver can have a names or initials engraved or a few words that summarize the promise. It\'s best to avoid band rings, though, which can be mistaken for wedding rings. When giving a promise ring, it\'simportant to communicate the specific meaning you give to it. To avoid confusion and later unhappiness, make sure the recipient understands what itsymbolizes for the two of you.
Significance of Promise Rings:
A promise ring or friendshipring is given to a romantic partner to signify a promise to be committed in a monogamous relationship, usually aprecursor to marriage. The gift of the ring indicates that serious courting
High school class rings (ringspurchased to represent one\'s high school and year of graduation) are coveted byyoung people of either sex. "Wearing his/her class ring" means thatthe couple is \'going steady\' and that theirs was an exclusive relationship (ifthe young man wore a \'letter jacket\' -- an overt symbol of athleticparticipation -- his girlfriend may be given that to show that she is 'taken\').
Some people judge the seriousnessof a promise ring by its value and by the size of its gem. Most promise ringsas marketed by jewelers are less valuable than traditional engagement rings,with smaller gems. In some cultures, young adults in partnership wear\'friendship rings\' as a sign of their commitment to each other. Generallyspeaking, however, \'friendship rings\' are uncommon except for the very young. Also in some cases, but not all,a promise ring may take the place of an engagement ring in the most serious ofrelationships among young people. This is often because one or both of thepartners are either too young to legally be wed under the law orunwilling/unable to receive legal waivers, required due to status as aminor/dependent, from their respective parents and/or guardians.
In certain religious groups,where the concept of premarital sex is shunned, a promise ring can be worn by aperson to indicate that they have made a vow to put off having sex until theyare married. These rings are then replaced by a true promise ring (given by thepartner in the relationship), engagement ring, or wedding ring. Other options for the symbolism behind promise rings include purely platonic promises: a promise to refrain from sexual activity until marriage, a promise to quit smoking, or a promise tokeep in touch between friends, for example. In these cases a promise ring maybe exchanged at any age, between any two individuals regardless or theirpersonal relationship (from parents to children, same-sex friends, etc.).
Purity ring:
Purity rings, or chastityrings originated in the United States in the 1990s among Christian affiliated sexual abstinence groups. The rings aresold to adolescents or to parents so that they may be given to their adolescent children as gifts. It is intended that wearing apurity ring is accompanied by a religious vow to practice celibacy until marriage. The ring is usually worn on the left ring finger with the implication that the wearer will remain abstinent until it is replaced with a wedding ring.There is no particular style for purity rings; however, many worn by Christian shave a cross in their design in reference to Jesus Christ. Some rings contain a diamond chip or other gemstone and/or "Lovewaits" embossed somewhere on the ring.Other Articles
