Wedding Anniversary Gemstones: Giving the Gift of Gemstone Jewelry

 

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.