Abstinence Rings

The finger rings have always been a special way of expression for us. They are a great way to symbolize our commitments and vows towards our loved ones. People use different kinds of rings for different stages of their lives, to express different things altogether. Some of the popular types of rings that we can recall instantly include - the promise rings, engagement rings, weddings rings and friendship rings. There are several other types of rings which are worn by people, who belong to special groups like the sorority or fraternity and certain clubs or societies!

Amongst the various types of finger rings, abstinence rings have become the newest rage (especially in the US). They are also called 'chastity rings' or 'purity rings'. These rings are an outcome of the idea of purity or abstinence before marriage, which is found in Christianity. What is an abstinence ring? Well, in simple words, it is a ring which symbolizes the oath taken by a person to stay virgin until he/she gets lawfully married. There is a huge social message involved when a person decides to wear the purity or abstinence promise rings. The thought of wearing abstinence rings has its origins in America.

History of Abstinence Rings

The idea of abstinence rings evolved around 1990 in America, when some Christian affiliated groups promoting sexual abstinence, came up with the idea of abstinence or purity rings. These groups asked the teenagers and youths to sign the purity pledge cards as a promise towards purity and abstinence. During 1996, the idea of "The Silver Ring Thing" came across. This movement was started by a couple belonging to some Christian abstinence group. They held seminars and asked the teens to join their movement. As a token of participation, they gave away these sliver abstinence rings, engraved with Bible verses. Afterwards, the American government also took initiative to promote the purity promise rings. According to them, it is a better way of making the teenagers aware about safe sex and fallouts of premarital sex. The whole idea was to have trust in a teenager that he won't break the promise of abstinence, which he takes in front of his parents and the church.

Abstinence rings symbolize purity and trust in the idea of virginity before marriage. Wearing an abstinence ring is a constant reminder of this feeling to its wearer. Besides this, abstinence rings also give a message to the society that the wearer, has taken the oath of abstinence and has made a purity promise to the church. Typically, the rings are worn in the ring finger of the left hand, which will get replaced by the wedding ring, when the person gets married. Many parents gift abstinence rings to their children to support and appreciate their efforts towards purity.

Patterns and Designs

Due to their rising popularity, they are a favorite amongst the jewelry vendors too! Hence, we can see many types of the abstinence rings in the market. They are a special niche in the jewelry market and are sold with a great hype and extravagant prices as well! Many of these abstinence or purity rings come with special engraved messages and symbols of purity like a cross, a dove or footprints, etc. The engraved messages are like - "I'll Wait", "Worth Waiting For", "WWJD" (what would Jesus do), "True Love Waits", JMJ (Jesus Mary Joseph), "Vow of Purity" and many other Christian symbols.

The rings are available in all kinds of metals, but as they are mostly worn by the teenagers, they come in cheaper materials like sterling silver and inexpensive gold. However, there are a few expensive abstinence rings, which are embedded with expensive gemstones and birthstones as well. The pattern of the abstinence ring is a matter of personal choice of the wearer. The most popular choices are - the stackable rings, silver bands, chastity bands, etc. which come with various verses from the Holy Bible.

The idea of the abstinence rings actually sounds a bit controversial. Some studies show that teenagers freely practice the premarital sex, despite wearing the abstinence ring. It clearly shows that wearing these rings and practicing sexual abstinence are two totally different things and a person can practice it without wearing the ring as well! However, the controversy doesn't seem to deter the fans of the abstinence rings, who wear them as a fashion symbol! In my opinion, abstinence rings are only effective when the wearer knows the meaning of the oath of abstinence and the ramifications of purity.