A promise ring is any ring given and worn as a symbol of commitment. Wedding and engagement rings are promise rings. So are the signet rings worn by Catholic bishops and by the Pope, and the purity rings worn by evangelical Christian teenagers who have vowed to remain virgins until marriage. Friendship rings, exchanged by close friends and usually worn on the right hand, are also promise rings. More commonly, a promise ring is now defined as a pre-engagement ring. A young man gives one to his girlfriend as a sign that he considers the relationship serious and intends to be with her forever, but it is not an actual engagement. Instead of getting engaged to be married, the couple are getting engaged to be engaged. Though it is not as common, a woman may likewise give a promise ring to her boyfriend. The history of giving promise rings is an ancient one. Finger rings have existed as long as metal jewelry - that is, thousands of years. It is likely that they have been used as tokens of promise for almost as long. By the time of the Roman Empire, and possibly long before, betrothed couples exchanged rings. In those days, a betrothal was a serious affair. Whereas couples nowadays might get engaged to be engaged, a Roman betrothal was, essentially, a pre-marriage marriage. It was the time when the wedding contract was drawn up. Rights and responsibilities on the part of the bride and the groom, and what property each brought to the marriage, were outlined. To call off a betrothal was almost as complicated as divorcing. The betrothal ring, worn by both the bride and the groom (it had their names engraved on it), gave a physical reminder of their commitment. The custom of using a ring to seal a pre-engagement is likewise an old one. In parts of medieval Europe, especially among the upper classes, it was not uncommon for children to be betrothed, though the marriage itself would not take place until they both reached puberty. Sometimes, betrothals were arranged for babies. When a betrothal was arranged, the girl would be given a ring by the boy's family, if not by the boy himself. Then as now, a ring could mean a promise to marry in the future by someone too young to marry yet. In an arranged betrothal, love was not necessarily part of the picture. The young bride and groom might not meet at all before their wedding. However, the ring as a token of love likewise has an ancient history. For centuries, the exchange of rings could mean, not only a formal and legal commitment such as marriage, but a less formal commitment, such as friendship. In Shakespearean England,Easy beaded jewelry crafts, posey rings were popular. These rings had poetic sayings etched inside them, usually about love or eternal friendship. Posey rings are still available today, though not necessarily called by that name. They may be used as wedding rings. Many couples have their initials, with or without a short saying, engraved inside their wedding rings. True to its history, the giving of promise rings symbolizes commitment. While there are many kinds of promise ring,Easy checkerboard patterned polymer clay beads, the kind most commonly thought of as a promise ring represents a commitment somewhat less formal and binding than marriage. It represents a promise to promise to marry.