Contemporary Reviews

A friendship ring is a special type of ring that is normally given to a romantic partner as a symbol of love and affection. However, as their name would suggest, friendship rings (Freundschaftsringe) can also be given to close friends as a symbol of friendship and affection. In many cultures around the world, friendship rings, promise rings, and pre-engagement rings are given out to signify monogamous relationships between romantic partners.
In many says, these kind of rings act as an informal offering which is exchanged as a precursor to an engagement ring. However, it is important to remember that the name ‘friendship ring’ has also taken on a new meaning in western culture, where adolescent girls may exchange rings as a symbol of friendship and nothing else.

There is a long history of friendship rings around the world, which were originally known as promise rings and given out when there was a promise to marry. The term friendship ring then became used as a way to signify an act of affection without any promise to marry as such. Promise rings date back to the 16th century, although they have a history that goes back much further than that. The earliest known example of a promise ring comes from AD 1576, with a picture of a promise ring being given which proves just how old this tradition really is. During the early days, a promise ring was given when a man could not afford to get married, but still wanted to show some kind of commitment to a lady.

There are other examples of friendship or promise rings throughout history, with a number of tales from Shakespeare’s time. In this period in some European countries, posey rings were popular among some young adult couples as a way to symbolise affection. These rings were regularly engraved with romantic sayings such as “vous et nul autres” (you and no others) or “a ma vie de coeur entier” (my whole heart for my whole life). In more recent history, the 20th century has also seen friendship rings being given out to symbolise love and affection between couples that were not yet in a position to marry. Friendship rings are still widely used today, although their use is sometimes much less formal. They are widely available both from local jewellers and Internet based stores.