Guide to Buying Promise Rings

If you are in a long term relationship and want to prove your love and commitment to your girlfriend, a promise ring is the perfect way to do so. A promise ring is an adequate sign of commitment for a young couple who is either too young to wed or not ready to wed. When you give your girlfriend a promise ring you are promising to one day ask her to marry you. Essentially, choosing a promise ring is just as important as choosing an engagement ring. The promise ring is a sign of commitment to your relationship and it is a ring that she will wear on a daily basis. If you need help choosing choosing a promise ring, no need to fret. I'm here to help you make your choice, I have experience choosing promise rings. After me and my boyfriend (Terry) had been together for a year, we decided to buy each other promise rings to symbolize our love and commitment.

Don't Buy an Engagement Ring Lookalike

If Terry would have surprised me with a promise ring that looked like an engagement ring, I would have thought he was proposing. If he then told me that it was just a promise ring, I would have felt embarrassed for jumping to such extreme conclusions. Your girlfriend will likely have the same reaction. To avoid potential embarrassment, arguments, "the talk" and even potentially being guilted into marriage, avoid engagement ring lookalikes at all costs.

Opt for a Gemstone Ring

Consider buying your girlfriend a promise ring with her birthstone as the gem. Gemstone promise rings are not likely to be mistaken for a promise ring. They will help you avoid the sticky situation mentioned above. Get her a promise ring set in her favorite metal and have her gemstone as the setting. Personally, me and Terry opted for gemstone promise rings. My gemstone is Aquamarine and his is Blue Topaz, both are light blue so they look like a set. Just in case you're curious, I purchased his ring Here and he purchased my ring Here. A quality gemstone promise ring will run you anywhere from $50 to $350. Don't be fooled by the price range, just because a ring is priced at a higher price doesn't mean that it will be of better quality. I learned this from experience, I purchased his ring towards the top of this price range, and less than a year later his ring is starting to show signs of wear. If you are concerned with quality, purchase her promise ring for a reputable jeweler, such as Zales or Kay jewelers. They are likely to have better deals on high-grade gemstone promise rings, because their niche is diamond rings.

Buy a Diamond Promise Ring

I know it may seem as if I'm contradicting the advice I have already given you, but hear me out. There is one exception to buying a promise ring that looks like an engagement ring. It's okay to buy your girlfriend a promise ring that looks like an engagement ring only when she is aware of the fact that you are buying her a promise ring. This is because she won't be caught off guard and immediately assume that the promise ring is indeed an engagement ring. You can opt for a real diamond engagement ring if your budget allows and simply present it as a promise ring, but engagement rings tend to have a scary price tag way into the thousands. If you want to buy a promise ring that looks like a diamond ring, opt for a CZ promise ring. A CZ promise ring is a simulated (man-made) diamond. CZ rings get a bad rap because they are often sold at cheap-o shops like Claire's and Spencer's, but if you purchase a CZ promise ring that is set on an 18k gold band, the ring will look very high quality and expensive. Expect to pay in the range of $35 to $55 for a quality CZ promise ring.

Fun Fact: A 1 carat white gold engagement ring can cost up to $1,000. While a 1 carat CZ white gold engagement ring only costs $50.