One of the most common types of questions that we receive here at Purity Rings Catalog start off something like this “I am a Methodist/Catholic/Presbyterian etc, can I wear a purity ring?” It’s easy to understand why people are curious about purity rings. These symbols of abstinence are relatively new, and many people are only just now hearing about them for the first time.

As we’ve discussed before in other blog posts, there is no one rule or set of standards for wearing a purity ring. While purity rings are most common among members of the Evangelical movement and various parts of the Baptist church, Christians from a wide variety of denominations wear purity rings. For example, an article published in the The Times News Daily mentions Catholics wearing the rings. Because the decision to abstain from sex until marriage is not always tied to religion, even those who are not Christians may choose to wear purity rings.

If you feel in your heart that wearing a purity ring is right for you, don’t let your religious denomination or your lack of religion at all keep you from getting a reminder of your choice to wait until marriage to have sex.

If you’re a girl who’s considering wearing a purity ring, you may find yourself wondering what your promise really entails. The truth is that no one can provide you with a laundry list of activities that you’re giving up when you wear a promise ring. This is because only you can decide what a promise ring means to you. The ring is simply a symbol of your own moral choices, so the restrictions that are placed on you are ones that you select.

Some of the things that purity rings may symbolize to a girl include:

- A decision to not have sex until married. This is the most popular meaning of a purity ring. For most girls, it means not having any type of intercourse until their wedding night, though others believe that it only relates to having vaginal intercourse.

- A choice to not have sex again until married. Some girls who have made mistakes with promiscuity in the past opt to wear purity rings as a promise to not have sex again.

- A pledge to not have a serious relationship until after graduation. While this meaning is not as common, a small number of girls choose to wear a purity ring to symbolize a commitment to focus on school and friendships until after high school.

- A commitment to not using drugs or alcohol. As the National Institute of Drug Abuse explains, drug and alcohol use among teens is a growing problem in the United States. Some girls view abstaining from the use of these substances as a part of purity.

In short, putting on a purity ring doesn’t suddenly impose specific rules upon you. When you wear a ring, you decide what the details of the promise you’re making and are responsible for keeping that promise to yourself.

Girls who are looking for purity rings often find themselves confused about just what a purity ring is. As an article published by Baylor University explains, many teen celebrities have sported these rings over the years, and as a result, some girls are curious about wearing them but don’t know exactly what to look for in a ring.

One of the biggest questions about purity rings is if they must include a Christian symbol, such as a cross or a fish. The reason why many people wonder this is because purity rings are largely tied to Christianity. In fact, many churches across the country hold special purity ring dances and ceremonies where fathers give rings to their daughters.

While it’s true that for many girls, purity rings are related to Christian values, a purity ring doesn’t have to have a cross or a similar symbol on it. There are many styles of purity rings available, from flowers to hearts to simple bands. Girls may select any style that they like, regardless of what the ring looks like. At Purity Rings Catalog, we have a wide selection of styles showcased, including Christian purity rings and other styles.

There are many styles of purity rings available for girls, and one of the most popular is the True Love Waits purity ring. These special purity rings are typically bands that read either “Love Waits” or “True Love Waits.” The message is usually added through an engraving process either with lasers, hand tools or acid. The rings may be simple bands or be embellished with diamonds, birthstones or other gemstones.

The meaning behind True Love Waits purity rings relates to abstinence. The rings are meant to remind girls that if boys truly love them, they should be willing to wait until marriage to have intercourse. The simple message helps girls be strong in the face of pressure and temptation, making these rings powerful reminders of girls’ commitments to abstinence.

Some people credit the idea for these rings to the True Love Waits movement of LifeWay Ministries. This movement promotes abstinence among college students and teenagers.

Just because the True Love Waits collection has its roots in a Christian organization does not mean that they can only be worn by those of the Christian faith. The message behind the rings can be interpreted in a secular way, so the True Love Waits purity ring style can truly suit anyone.

Whether you’re engaged to be married, are a newlywed or are just starting to shop for a purity ring and are thinking about the future, you may be curious about what you should do with your purity ring once you are wed. Here are a few of our ideas for what to do with a purity ring after marriage.

- Present it to your husband. Giving your purity ring to your husband on your wedding night is a very sentimental gesture. Another option is to have the stone re-set in your husband’s wedding band or into a ring or cross necklace for him to wear.

- Re-set it to wear yourself. If your purity ring has special meaning and you hate to part with it, you can re-set the gemstone it contains to add to a pendant, pin or bracelet. Another option is to continue to wear your purity ring on your righ -hand or on a chain as reminder of your past.

- Return it to your parents. In some parts of the country, purity balls and purity ring ceremonies are common practices, according to Oprah.com If you received your ring from your father or both your parents at a ball or ceremony, you may want to return it to them as a sentimental gesture on your wedding day.

- Donate it. If you don’t wish to keep your purity ring, consider donating it. If it has considerable monetary valuable, you could also sell the ring and donate the money to a charity that you support.

- Make it a keepsake. Some women choose to simply place their purity rings in pretty boxes and save them as mementos. You may also do something special with the ring, such as place it on a mat and have it framed or attach it to your wedding bouquet with a ribbon after you have had the flowers dried.

- Save it for the next generation. If abstinence is a value that you hold dear, you’re likely to work hard to instill the same values in your daughter. Saving your purity ring to give to her or to use to explain your convictions can be very special for you both.

There is no one “right” thing to do with a purity ring after marriage. What you choose to do with your ring is as personal as the decision to wear one was. You may have ideas of your own that differ from the suggestions we’ve provide, and that’s perfectly acceptable. Follow your heart and do something that is special and meaningful to you.

As a teenaged girl or young adult, your decision to remain abstinent until marriage is admirable. Wearing a purity ring is a wonderful way to symbolize your commitment, but there are a few things that you should know about these rings before you purchase one.

1. Purity rings are personal. Your moral values are extremely personal, and it’s okay if you want to keep them private. A purity ring can be a symbol that only you and your partner know the meaning of if you are more comfortable that way. You are free to choose a simple band or a ring with a pretty stone as opposed to a religious ring or a True Love Waits style.

2. Wearing a purity ring is your decision. While your parents are undoubtedly proud of you for your choice to wait until marriage to have sex, the decision to wear a purity ring should be yours. It’s you that will have to stick to your moral principles and live out your commitment. When you’re strong in your beliefs, your purity ring will truly serve as a powerful reminder of your decision.

3. A purity ring is a reminder, but not a solution. Many young women mistakenly believe that wearing a purity ring will make it easier for them to abstain from sex. This is not entirely the case. Temptations may still arise, particularly when you’re very attracted to your partner. At these times, you can stop and look at your purity ring to give you the strength to resist, but you have to be the one to remember to stop and look.

4. You are not the only young woman who has chosen abstinence. Often times, girls feel anxious about wearing their purity rings to school because they fear judgment. The media makes it seem as if the vast majority of teenagers are sexually active, and the numbers who are abstinent are very few. According to The National Campaign to End Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, only 42 percent of girls and 43 percent of boys have had sexual intercourse. You are by no means the only girl who has made the responsible decision to not have sex; you just happen to be one with enough strength in your convictions to want to symbolize your commitment with a ring.

Your choice to remain abstinent is an important one, and one of which you should be proud. Take your time and select the perfect purity ring to beautifully symbolize your personal beliefs.

If you’re a parent planning to purchase a purity ring, you may wonder when the right time is to present your child with this traditional symbol of purity. There’s no easy answer to this question, as there is no one ideal age at which every girl is ready for a purity ring. To find the perfect time, you’ll have to consider a variety of factors, including:

- Her age – Typically, a girl should not be given a purity ring before she reaches puberty. Girls can mature at different rates, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that most children reach puberty between the ages of 9 and 14.

- Her maturity – Just because a child has reached puberty, doesn’t mean she’s necessarily ready to think about sex. The decision to remain abstinent until marriage is an adult one. If you give a child a purity ring before she can fully appreciate the significance of it, the ring is unlikely to have a special meaning to her.

- Her dating habits – If your daughter hasn’t yet expressed an interest in boys, you may wish to wait to present her with a purity ring.

- Her personal beliefs – Even if you feel strongly about abstaining from sex until marriage, you should wait to give your daughter a purity ring until she, too, has expressed those beliefs to you. The decision to wait until marriage is ultimately hers. By giving her a ring before she’s committed to waiting, you may upset her or even encourage her to do just the opposite of waiting.

Whenever you decide the time is right to give your daughter a purity ring, make sure that you find a way to mark the occasion with celebration. Take her out for a special dinner, have a party or give it to her after an activity that you enjoy doing as a family. Tell her that you’re proud of her decision to wait until marriage when you give her the ring and remind her that she can always approach you with questions about sex and sexuality.

Here at Purity Rings Catalog, our team of jewelry experts sometimes receives questions from shoppers about purity rings in general, and one of the questions that we receive most often is if a promise ring is the same thing as a purity ring. Because this question is so common, we wanted to take the time to explain the answer.

The Meaning of a Purity Ring

A purity ring has one basic meaning: that the wearer intends to not have sex until she is married. Purity rings may be purchased by a girl for herself, by her parents or by her significant other and given as a gift. Often times, couples that pledge to be abstinent exchange purity rings with one another as a visual reminder of their vow to wait, but a girl does not need to be in a relationship to wear a purity ring.

The Many Meanings of a Promise Ring

As explained by the online magazine Love Panky, a promise ring is a ring presented from one significant other to the other and can represent any type of commitment or vow. Some of the common meanings of promise rings include:

- A promise that a young couple will one day become engaged when they are old enough
- A pledge that a couple will be monogamous and only date and be intimate with one another
- A sign that one partner will wait for the other while they are away to attend school, serve in the military or complete some other task
- A vow that one partner will stop a certain behavior that is negatively affecting the relationship
- A mutual decision to not have sex until married and not to pressure one another to be sexually intimate

The final meaning of a promise ring is nearly identical to that of a purity ring, except that the ring is always given by a boyfriend to a girlfriend or vice versa. Because there are so many possible meanings for promise rings, you can’t always assume that someone who is wearing one has decided to abstain from sex until marriage in the same way that you can when a person is wearing a purity ring.

In terms of actual jewelry, many promise rings make beautiful purity rings, but not all purity rings are suitable for use as promise rings depending on the intentions of the person giving the ring. For example, a style like A True Love Waits ring would not be appropriate for a non-abstinent couple who was using the promise ring as a pre-engagement ring. Any of the rings on our site, however, are lovely choices for purity rings for girls.

One of the biggest questions that girls have about purity rings is whether or not it’s alright to wear one. Some girls wonder if things they have done in the past might make them unworthy of wearing a purity ring or make them a hypocrite for wearing one.

The truth is that regardless of your situation, you can wear a purity ring if you’ve decided to wait until marriage to have sex.

Wearing a purity ring is a personal decision and a reflection of your own moral beliefs. Though many people link purity rings to Christianity, you do not have to be a religious person to wear a purity ring. There are many styles of purity rings that do not feature crosses or other Christian imagery that you can choose if you’re not a religious person.

Some teens wonder if having kissed their boyfriends or engaged in any type of touching would prohibit them from wearing a purity ring. Because a purity ring is a personal choice, there are no rules that state you cannot wear one based upon your past activities. If you’re making the decision to wait until marriage from this point forward, a purity ring can be used to express that.

Another question that comes up frequently is whether or not a girl must be a virgin to wear a purity ring. As explained by About.com, virginity can have many meanings, and as a result, there’s no one rule regarding virginity and wearing purity rings. A girl who was a victim of sexual abuse who decides to wait until marriage to have consensual sex for a partner may consider herself a virgin still, or a girl who has only ever engaged in oral sex with a partner may not see herself as one; however, both of these girls could wear a purity ring if they choose.

What a purity ring signifies to you depends on your own personal beliefs. If you want to wear a purity ring to show your commitment to your values, you should do so. Remember, you are wearing the ring for yourself, not for anyone else, so let your own conscience be your guide.

A purity ring is a beautiful way to show off your commitment to save yourself until marriage, and shopping online can help you find the perfect purity ring in very little time. To ensure that you’re satisfied with the ring that you choose, it’s important that you purchase a ring in the correct size. Because we want to make shopping for a new purity ring as simple as possible, we’ve put together this explanation of how to tell your ring size.

Choosing the Time to Measure

Determining your ring size would be easy if your finger always remained the same size, but your finger’s circumference changes many times during the day. Because you’ll want to wear your ring all day long, you’ll need to be sure that it will be comfortable and easy to slip on and take off when your finger is at its widest. As a result, it’s important to measure your finger in the evening when your hands are warm. Most experts recommend measuring about 1 week before your menstrual period as well.

The Simplest Technique

If you’re wondering how to tell what ring size you are, you’ll need to measure your finger. This can be challenging to do with a standard ruler or tape measure, but there is a very easy technique that you can use. All you’ll need to do is trim a piece of sturdy paper into a strip that is 3/4″ in width by 4″ in length. Put a mark on one end of the paper and use it as a starting point, wrapping the paper around your finger. Create a second mark at the spot where the paper overlaps. Then, remove the paper and use a ruler to find out the length from one mark to the next. Once you have a measurement in inches, use our handy calculator to get your ring size:

Ring Size:

Things to Remember

If your ring size is a whole number, you’re in luck and ready to start shopping. Half ring sizes are found at some jewelers, so if you’re exactly halfway in between sizes, you may be able to find a purity ring that is a perfect fit. In the event that your measurement ends in 1/4 or 3/4, round up to the next available half or whole size. No matter how confident you are in the accuracy of your measurements, be sure to read the return and exchange policies of any jeweler before you buy; reputable jewelers should allow you to send back your ring for a bigger or larger size as needed.

Now you know the simplest method of how to tell your ring size! Take your time, shop carefully and most of all, have fun! You’ll want the process of choosing your purity ring to be as memorable as the first time you slip it onto your finger and make your promise.