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What Is A Promise Ring Mean From A Boyfriend (11 Possible Meanings)

Ideally, receiving a piece of jewelry from a romantic partner shouldn't raise any questions since gifts are commonplace in relationships. But, it's not the case when your boyfriend gets you a promise ring from a fancy store like Kay Jewelers.

While the terms of this query - "what is a promise ring mean from a boyfriend" - may not be grammatically correct, the search intent is not far-fetched. 

Promise rings didn't start today; they've been around for a long time. Before now, guys gave ladies posy rings to indicate their interest in them. These posy rings usually had personalized messages inscribed on them.

A promise ring represents commitment and dedication in a romantic relationship. To put things into perspective, couples wearing matching promise rings is a symbol of the couple's love for each other. Whichever way you look at it, a promise ring means different things to different people.

What does a promise ring mean from a boyfriend? Thankfully, we were able to come up with 11 possible meanings.

11 Possible Meanings A Promise Ring From a Boyfriend Mean

1. Symbol of love

A jewelry gift usually has a romantic undertone. Guys do not just randomly gift ladies pieces of jewelry. Also, considering the promise ring cost, it's safe to say that it could imply a romantic gesture.

A promise ring exemplifies love and devotion. The giver must have put serious thought into getting it for you, given its meaning. He's simply proclaiming his heartfelt love for you and complete belief in the relationship's future.

Like an eternity ring, your boyfriend might decide to use a promise ring to let you know that he has chosen to love you forever. He's decided to go the extra mile to get you to know that he has deep romantic feelings for you. 

See the promise ring as a token of love and affection. Don't hesitate to let your dating partner know if you feel the same way about him. 

2. He's feeling appreciative of you

Being in a relationship can be blissful. Sadly, the challenges facing men in today's society make it easy for those in long-term relationships to take their partners for granted.

Your boyfriend may have felt appreciative and probably took the initiative to do something unexpected - to give you a promise ring. Come to think of it; his life has become a lot better because of you. The chances are that he's feeling appreciative of how your words and actions have helped shape his life. 

You'd be surprised to discover that your boyfriend doesn't have any other motive for gifting you a promise ring other than wanting to show you how grateful he is for the impact you've had on his life. To him, the piece of fine jewelry symbolizes his appreciation for being his girlfriend.

3. He has decided to get serious with you

One of the signs that your casual dating relationship is getting serious is that your partner would become more intentional about you and the relationship. 

Say you're in a casual relationship, and things have been progressing well; there's every tendency that your partner may no longer be interested in keeping things casual. He may decide to gift you a promise ring to show that he wants to get serious with you.

Keep in mind that promise rings can serve as commitment rings. Meanwhile, commitment rings symbolize everlasting dedication. It's not a pre-engagement ring, so you don't misinterpret your boyfriend's intention. 

Rather, the promise ring is a physical symbol of his commitment to you and your relationship. Besides, why would a guy bother himself about giving a casual fling a promise ring if he hasn't taken a shine to her?

4. A sign of friendship

Friendship is a critical component of a romantic relationship. You see, the thing is, friendship building can be daunting and overwhelming. Notwithstanding, couples must work towards deepening their friendship above other things.

Your boyfriend giving you a promise ring may likely be his way of consolidating your friendship. The cost of the precious metal is inconsequential here. What matters is that your boyfriend wants to improve the quality of your friendship. 

Again, nobody's perfect, and it's likely that your significant other made a promise he couldn't keep. It's OK for you to be upset that he broke his promise. The sterling silver promise ring you've received could be a way of saying sorry without actually saying it. 

5. Symbol of purity

symbol of purity

Promise rings can serve as a promise of purity. Couples can use promise rings to represent a pact of purity they made together. Like purity rings, they can wear them to remind themselves of their vows of chastity.

If you and your boyfriend have taken vows of chastity, the promise ring could be construed as a friendly reminder to remain chaste. Moreover, a promise ring is a good memento of your vows. So, feel free to wear your promise ring to your romantic dinner or weekend getaway.

Since they serve as purity rings, you can wear the promise ring on the right ring finger instead of the left finger. Wearing it on the right hand leaves the ring finger on the left hand empty for the engagement rings. Generally, the choice of which finger to wear a promise ring is entirely yours.

6. Declaration of a promise

As the name implies, a promise ring connotes a promise to do something. Think back to a time you made a promise to your partner. If your boyfriend left the ring someplace secret for you to find, check to see if there's an engraved message indicating the promise you made to him.

Another way of looking at it is that you made the promise verbally. The chances are that you declared this solemn promise on a significant day, probably on your birthday, Valentine's Day, or annual dating anniversary.

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It could be a specific commitment like fidelity or sobriety. In any case, the promise ring is your boyfriend's way of ensuring you stay true to your promise.

7. A symbol of monogamy

Promise rings could mean exclusivity. Not everybody fancies an open relationship, especially someone interested in a serious relationship. A guy could give his girlfriend a promise ring to let her know he wants the relationship to be exclusive.

In such a scenario, the guy wants her to know that he wants her all to himself. Of course, he'd remain faithful and loyal to her in return. 

If you're in an open relationship, a plausible explanation for receiving a promise ring is that your partner no longer feels like sharing you with someone else. So, there you have it! 

Moreover, it's normal for young couples in long-distance relationships to wear promise rings to serve as a token of their commitment and fidelity to each other.

8. An alternative engagement ring

Promise rings could easily be construed as engagement rings, even though they are two different things. Notwithstanding, a guy can give a promise ring to his girlfriend as a substitute for an engagement ring. 

This usually happens in the early days of a relationship. A clear case of a guy who sees what he wants and decides to make a run for it. In most cases, it happens that the couple may be young or far from ready to get serious.

Also, a guy who isn't financially ready to bear the burden of an engagement or a wedding can give a ring to his girlfriend in the hope of replacing it with an engagement ring at a future engagement.

The key takeaway is that promise rings are often used as placeholders for engagement rings. But which finger does a promise ring go on? This ring is typically worn on the left ring finger since it comes before the engagement.

Regardless, you may decide to wear it on a different finger, like the middle finger or right ring finger. There's no hard and fast rule that says you have to wear them on your left hand ring finger. What matters is the sentimental value of the ring. Interestingly, you can even wear it on simple bands, engagement bands, or wedding bands.

9. Promise marriage

For the most part, a marriage promise lies at the heart of every relationship, even though it doesn't necessarily guarantee the outcome. Generally, a promise ring can serve as an indication of a man's marriage intentions. 

As we stated earlier, there's a difference between engagement rings and promise rings. Notwithstanding, the connotations of a promise ring can be a pointer toward an engagement ring. 

Today, guys use the ring to assure their partners of marriage. The bottom line is that this ring on a wedding band can be a physical symbol that they will engage you later in the future, possibly when their circumstances change for the better. 

10. It could symbolize a keepsake

it could symbolize a keepsake

Keepsakes hold a lot of sentimental value, especially when it comes from someone you hold in very high esteem. Nine times out of ten, the giver and the recipient can't be together due to geographical distance.

A promise ring can serve as a keepsake - a memento of the person who gave it. Lovers exchange keepsakes whenever one partner is going away for a long time.

Keepsakes have always been prevalent among military personnel, sailors, and humanitarian workers. These people carry personal items of their loved ones as keepsakes wherever they go.

If you're in a long-distance relationship, your boyfriend could be giving you the ring as a keepsake to remember him. There's nothing wrong with that. See it as a way of having him close to you all the time, especially if he will be away for a long time.

11. He wants to go public with the relationship

You'd recall we mentioned that exchanging promise rings signifies that the relationship is getting serious. Someone who isn't ashamed of you wouldn't mind letting the world know you are together.

A guy could place the ring on a lady's finger so the outside world can know that they are in a serious relationship. Sometimes, a guy may do this to debunk any rumor that the relationship is a casual fling.

Essentially, the ring you received could be an indirect way of letting friends, family members, and colleagues know that you are officially dating. That's in addition to symbolizing his intentions to take you more seriously.

FAQ

How serious is a promise ring?

A ring like that should never be taken lightly, considering its implications. The promise ring's meaning centers on love, commitment, and dedication to one's partner and relationship. If you're not interested in a serious relationship, you steer clear of promise rings.

How long should you be in a relationship before you get a promise ring?

There's no specified time in a relationship for exchanging promise rings. In some cases, we’ve seen an exchange of rings happen a couple of months into the relationship. Occasionally, some couples date for a year before getting these precious metals. The most important thing is that you get to receive it as a mark of your partner's love and commitment to you.

When should your boyfriend give you a promise ring?

Ideally, your boyfriend should give you a promise ring immediately after the relationship becomes more serious. In addition to symbolizing love and commitment, the ring also connotes a vow to remain faithful to one's partner. Also, expect it to come as a precursor to the class ring you'd get on your engagement.

Are promise rings a good thing?

Promise rings are a good thing considering what they represent. The ring on any plain band signifies an agreement between two people; say, romantic partners. In a case where a boyfriend gives this ring to his girlfriend, it indicates a step up from casual dating. To the outside world, their hearts belong to each other. 

What does a promise ring symbolize?

Whichever way you look at it, a promise ring symbolizes love, fidelity, and commitment. It's more or less a pre-engagement ring since it precedes the engagement. At its most fundamental, a promise ring signifies a devotion to someone and a relationship. 

In Conclusion

We're glad you took the time to digest the content of this post. If you were gifted promise rings by your boyfriend, this list would help you understand its meaning. You'd agree that promise rings have become very bang on-trend. Kindly share your thoughts in the comments, and don't forget to share the article.

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