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Engagement bands, promise
ring bands, wedding bands, and other rings have long been a way to
symbolize love between a man and a woman. Traditionally, the engagement
ring or band is presented to the lady when the gentleman makes his
proposal of marriage, but that has not always been the case. Engagement
bands have a long history that dates as far back as the thirteenth
century for the way we know them today and perhaps as far back as Biblical
times in other, similar, uses.
Promise Ring Bands – For When You’re Not Quite Ready to
Say ‘I Do’
Another tradition is the promise ring band. The history of these
is not quite as readily traceable as that of engagement and wedding
bands, but likely dates almost as far back. Used as a symbol of monogamy
and devotion, the promise ring was typically given as a gift by the
young man to his beloved lady. Silver band promise rings are still
sold today, but are not usually exchanged by adults. In today’s
world the promise ring is commonly associated with teen-age puppy
love and serves the same purpose as the silver mizpah coins that
are often on sale at mall jewelry kiosks.
Engagement rings and bands today typically are set with a diamond
or some other gemstone. Promise ring bands, due to their target consumer
in today’s market, are not. Engagement rings are most often
made of silver, gold, or platinum while, for the same reason, promise
rings are most often made of cheaper metals although silver band
promise rings and gold promise rings do exist. It is rare that antique
bands would be used as promise rings, but it does happen from time
to time.
The history of these rings as gifts, symbols of dedication, and indications
of a woman’s “spoken for” status dates to the 1400’s
in Europe and probably originated in Italy. It was common for men of
the time to present a lady with a ring that was beset with several
gemstones. The first letters of these diamonds and other stones often
would spell the man’s name or some other word of significance.
In societies in which a dowry was expected to be paid to the bride’s
family a part of that payment was made with the engagement bands.
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