subject: The History Of Men's Promise Rings [print this page] A new trend now is promise rings for men - but did you know that it stems from an old and fascinating tradition? Before men wore rings to symbolize their romantic commitments, they wore them to signify their devotion to various institutions, among them professional guilds, religious organizations, and groups such as fraternities or colleges.
In fact, the Roman Catholic Papal ring stems back to the traditions of ancient cultures. As far back as thousands of years, male religious officials wore rings to signal a promise to God or their religious institution.
In the 16th century, a popular tradition among friends and lovers was to exchange rings as tokens of fidelity and affection. Worn by both men and women, these early rings came in different styles and settings.
In the late 20th century, promise rings became popular for, first, women, and then, for men too. Couples have many different reasons for exchanging rings before engagement, including the desire to promise pre-marital abstinence to one another, celebrate a new co-habitation, or mark the seriousness of the relationship.
Worn on either the left or right hand, and on any finger of the wearer's choosing, modern promise rings for men are not bound to any particular conventions. A particularly popular choice right now is to engrave rings with personal messages on either the inside or the outside of the band.
"Anam Cara" is a saying in Gaelic, the language of Ireland, which means "soul friend". This saying has become a popular engraving on men's promise rings in the last few years, especially on rings that are inspired by the jewelry of the ancient Celts.
Matching rings can be a meaningful gesture for couples who wish to communicate their commitment to one another. Often, his-and-hers matching promise rings have a common element, such as the same stone, or the same engraving, but the men's ring will be of a heavier weight, more rugged in shape, or darker in color than the woman's.
