Nowadays, not many people adhere to “traditional” wedding gifts. However, it can certainly be fun and romantic to give the gift of gemstone jewelry to your spouse on a special anniversary.
The tradition of specific gemstones representing wedding anniversaries began in 1870. An author named Ebenezer Cobham Brewer wrote and published a list of gifts corresponding to each of the first fifteen wedding anniversaries that ended in a zero or five, from years twenty through sixty, and the seventy-fifth wedding anniversary. Naturally the seventy-fifth wedding anniversary was dubbed the diamond wedding anniversary. The sixtieth wedding anniversary also became a diamond wedding anniversary when Queen Victoria honored hers with a “Diamond Jubilee.”
It was not until 1922 that Emily Post, popular etiquette author, added her opinions on appropriate wedding gifts and the fact that it was important to not gift diamonds and yellow gold until the corresponding anniversary. It was important to gift the more “modest” stone. It was widely accepted that more expensive gifts were essentially “earned” by spending more years together.
The list of wedding anniversary gemstones has been edited and modernized through the years and can be a wonderful source to consult when purchasing gemstone jewelry for your husband or wife on your wedding anniversary. You will notice that the list covers every year up until the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, skips to the thirtieth, then thirty-fifth, thirty-eighth, then fortieth wedding anniversary, and then continues in increments of five years up until the eightieth wedding anniversary.
The following is a modern list of wedding anniversary gemstones, as compiled by The American Gem Trade Association:
1st Wedding Anniversary – Gold Jewelry & Peridot
2nd Wedding Anniversary – Garnet & Rose Quartz
3rd Wedding Anniversary – Pearls, Jade, & Crystal
4th Wedding Anniversary – Topaz & Blue Zircon
5th Wedding Anniversary – Sapphire & Pink Tourmaline
6th Wedding Anniversary – Amethyst & Turquoise
7th Wedding Anniversary – Onyx & Yellow Sapphire
8th Wedding Anniversary – Tourmaline & Tanzanite
9th Wedding Anniversary – Lapis Lazuli & Amethyst
10th Wedding Anniversary – Diamond & Blue Sapphire
11th Wedding Anniversary – Turquoise & Citrine
12th Wedding Anniversary – Jade & Opal
13th Wedding Anniversary – Citrine, Moonstone & Hawks Eye
14th Wedding Anniversary – Opal, Agate, & Bloodstone
15th Wedding Anniversary – Ruby, Alexandrite, & Rhodolite Garnet
16th Wedding Anniversary – Peridot, Red Spinel, & Aquamarine
17th Wedding Anniversary – Watches, Carnelian, Amethyst, & Citrine
18th Wedding Anniversary – Cat’s Eye & Chrysoberyl
19th Wedding Anniversary – Aquamarine & Almandine Garnet
20th Wedding Anniversary – Emerald & Yellow or Golden Diamond
21st Wedding Anniversary – Tolite & Lolite
22nd Wedding Anniversary – Spinel
23rd Wedding Anniversary – Imperial Topaz
24th Wedding Anniversary – Tanzanite
25th Wedding Anniversary – Silver Jubilee
30th Wedding Anniversary – Pearl Jubilee
35th Wedding Anniversary – Emerald & Coralline
38th Wedding Anniversary – Beryl & Tourmaline
40th Wedding Anniversary – Ruby
45th Wedding Anniversary – Sapphire, Cat’s Eye & Alexandrite
50th Wedding Anniversary – Golden Jubilee, Imperial or Golden Topaz
55th Wedding Anniversary – Alexandrite
60th Wedding Anniversary – Diamond Jubilee, Star Ruby
65th Wedding Anniversary – Blue Spinel & Star Sapphire
70th Wedding Anniversary – Sapphire Jubilee & Smoky Quartz
75th Wedding Anniversary – Diamond Jubilee
80th Wedding Anniversary – Ruby Jubilee
As noted above, most wedding anniversary years afford two or even three gemstone options to purchase gemstone jewelry for your spouse. In many cases, there is an expensive and less expensive (but no less beautiful or special option. Wedding anniversaries are a special time to celebrate and gemstone jewelry can be a thoughtful one indeed.