A promise ring, in Danish a "løftering", is a ring that marks a promise between two people. It is typically given as a sign of a committed relationship and an intention of a shared future, but without being a formal engagement. The ring is therefore a step before the engagement ring: a visible expression that you are together and mean it seriously, without a date having been set for a wedding.

There is no fixed rule for how a promise ring should look, when it should be given, or which finger it should be worn on. It is precisely the promise behind the ring that gives it meaning - not the ring's design. Below we go through the questions people most often ask: what the ring stands for, when it is given, how to wear it, and how it differs from an engagement ring and a wedding ring.

What does a promise ring symbolise?

The core of a promise ring is a promise. Most often it is about a romantic promise - a pledge to be together, of faithfulness, or of a future that at some point may lead to engagement and marriage. The ring functions as a concrete, wearable symbol of what two people have promised each other.

The meaning is not locked to one particular occasion. Some give a promise ring early in a relationship to mark that they are exclusive. Others use it as a pre-engagement, that is, a promise of wanting to get married eventually, when the timing is right. Because the ring is not bound by the same traditions as the engagement and wedding rings, couples can themselves define what exactly it is meant to stand for.

When do you give a promise ring?

A promise ring is typically given in a phase where the relationship is serious, but where an engagement is not yet in place. It may be after a couple of years together, when you want to mark the seriousness without yet taking the formal step. It may also be in situations where a wedding lies some way off in the future, for example because of studies, work or distance, and where the ring becomes a way of showing your commitment in the meantime.

The occasion may be an anniversary, a birthday, Christmas or a completely ordinary moment. There is no requirement for a particular ceremony. The decisive thing is the intention: that the ring is given as a promise, not as a spontaneous gift without meaning behind it.

Which finger do you wear a promise ring on?

There is no binding rule for which finger a promise ring should sit on. The most common placement is the ring finger of the left hand - the same finger that many associate with the wedding ring. The tradition for this particular finger goes back to antiquity and the notion of a vein that was supposed to run directly from the ring finger to the heart. That notion has since been disproved anatomically, but the custom has survived.

To avoid confusion with an engagement ring, some choose to wear the promise ring on the ring finger of the right hand instead. Others deliberately place it on a different finger to give it its own expression - for example the little finger. Some choose not to wear it on the finger at all, but instead on a chain around the neck. When an engagement ring later comes along, many move their promise ring over to another finger or hand, so that it continues to be a memory of an earlier step in the relationship.

If the ring is to be worn daily, it is worth making sure that it fits properly - neither so tight that it pinches, nor so loose that it easily falls off.

Promise ring, engagement ring and wedding ring - what is the difference?

The three rings each mark their own point in a relationship. A promise ring comes first and stands for a promise of wanting each other. An engagement ring is given when you decide to get married, and marks a concrete agreement about a wedding. The wedding ring is exchanged at the wedding itself and is the sign of the marriage.

Visually, a promise ring is often more understated than an engagement ring. If it has diamonds, they are usually smaller than the centre stone one associates with a classic engagement ring. This makes it well suited to daily use and to being worn together with other rings.

It is also becoming more and more common to choose two rings for the wedding itself - one engagement ring and one wedding ring - and here a promise ring fits in as an earlier link that should not be confused with either of them. At Longvé you will find both selected engagement rings and selected wedding rings, should you later reach that step.

Which rings are suitable as a promise ring?

Because there are no fixed rules for the design, a promise ring can be many things. In practice, most people choose a simple and everyday-friendly ring that is comfortable to wear every day and easy to combine with other jewellery. Discreet diamond rings, simple bands and rings with small stones are among the most obvious choices.

A solitaire ring is a classic: one centre stone set in prongs, giving a clean and recognisable look. Longvé carries solitaire rings in several diamond shapes, and a round solitaire ring in 14K gold is a calm option if you want one stone in the centre without too much around it. The whole selection can be seen under solitaire rings.

If you want a band with continuous sparkle rather than a single stone, an eternity ring or a half eternity ring is an obvious choice. The eternity ring has small diamonds all the way around the band, while the half eternity ring has diamonds halfway around, typically on the upper half. A small eternity ring in 14K gold gives a fine, even shimmer all the way around. Several variants can be found under eternity rings.

If you prefer a ring with no stone at all, the signet ring is a solid alternative. It has a wide, flat band and is available in sterling silver among others, and it can be engraved if you want a personal detail. Longvé's signet rings cover several shapes. Whatever direction you take, you can also simply start from the overall selection of rings and find the ring that suits the promise.

Lab-grown or natural diamonds in a promise ring?

If the promise ring has diamonds, you can choose between lab-grown and natural diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds are grown in a laboratory and have the same physical and optical properties as natural diamonds - they are both pure carbon and both sit at 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, which is the highest. You cannot tell the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds with the naked eye.

Many of Longvé's rings are available in both variants, so the same design can be had either with a lab-grown or a natural diamond. If you want to see the selection all together, it is found under lab-grown diamonds and diamonds. That way you can choose the stone that best suits the ring and the promise it is meant to stand for.