Quick answer
The classic anniversary gifts by year start with paper for the 1st, cotton for the 2nd and leather for the 3rd, then build to tin or aluminum (10th), silver (25th), ruby (40th), gold (50th) and diamond (60th). Modern lists swap in newer themes, like clocks for the 1st and diamond jewelry for the 10th. Both full lists are below.
Themed anniversary gifts go back to the Victorian era, but a formal American list was published in 1937 by the American National Retail Jewelers Association. A jewelers' group wrote it, which may explain why so many later years are metals and gemstones.
Lists differ a little from source to source. The tables below follow The Knot's anniversary list, and we flag the years where other lists disagree.
Key takeaways
- Traditional themes move from soft materials (paper, cotton) to precious ones (silver, gold, diamond at 60).
- The modern list names diamond jewelry for the 10th, gold jewelry for the 14th and diamond for the 30th.
- Years with a jewelry, metal or gemstone theme: 10, 11, 12, 14, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60.
- Use the theme as a starting point, not a rule. A personal gift beats a literal one.
Anniversary gifts by year: 1st to 15th
| Year | Traditional | Modern |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper | Clocks |
| 2nd | Cotton | China |
| 3rd | Leather | Crystal or glass |
| 4th | Fruit or flowers | Appliances |
| 5th | Wood | Silverware |
| 6th | Iron | Wood objects |
| 7th | Copper or wool | Desk sets |
| 8th | Bronze or pottery | Linen or lace |
| 9th | Willow or pottery | Leather |
| 10th | Aluminum or tin | Diamond jewelry |
| 11th | Steel | Fashion jewelry |
| 12th | Silk or linen | Pearl |
| 13th | Lace | Textiles or faux fur |
| 14th | Ivory | Gold jewelry |
| 15th | Crystal | Watches |
Source: The Knot. Some lists give candy for the 6th and silk alone for the 12th. For the 14th, choose ivory-colored gifts, not the material.
The early themes are everyday materials, and they get sturdier as the years add up: paper, then cotton, then leather, then wood by the 5th. The modern column leans practical, then turns to jewelry from the 10th.
Milestone anniversaries: 20th to 60th
| Year | Traditional | Modern | Jewelry idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20th | China | Platinum | A white metal piece in a classic shape |
| 25th | Sterling silver | Sterling silver | Anything in 925 sterling silver |
| 30th | Pearl | Diamond | A solitaire or halo pendant |
| 35th | Coral | Jade | Coral or green tones |
| 40th | Ruby | Ruby | Red stones |
| 45th | Sapphire | Sapphire | Blue stones |
| 50th | Gold | Gold | Yellow gold, solid or gold filled |
| 55th | Emerald | Emerald | Green stones |
| 60th | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond, or the diamond look |
Source: The Knot, with our jewelry ideas added.
These are the years people name out loud: the silver 25th, the ruby 40th, the golden 50th and the diamond 60th. From the 20th on, traditional and modern lists mostly agree, so there is less to decide.
Gift ideas for the 1st to 5th anniversary
The first five years are where the themes are most fun, because the materials are simple and the budget can stay small. Some starting points, one per theme:
| Year | Theme (traditional / modern) | Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper / clocks | A letter for each month of year one, a framed map of where you met, a good wall clock |
| 2nd | Cotton / china | Quality cotton sheets or a robe, a set of plates from a place you traveled |
| 3rd | Leather / crystal or glass | A leather weekender or passport cover, a pair of crystal glasses |
| 4th | Fruit or flowers / appliances | A fruit tree to plant together, a flower delivery each season, the coffee machine you keep talking about |
| 5th | Wood / silverware | An engraved wooden box, a tree planted in your names, a set of silver cutlery |
If you want jewelry in the early years, keep it light and wearable: a pair of solitaire studs tucked into the first-year letter, or a slim stacking band on the 5th. Our guide to jewelry gifts under $100 has picks that look far more expensive than they are.
Which anniversaries call for jewelry?
From the 10th on, the lists keep pointing at jewelry, precious metals and gemstones. Here is how we would read the main ones, with honest notes on what a moissanite piece is and is not.
- 10th, diamond jewelry (modern): an eternity band is the classic anniversary ring. Our Éternelle band has 30 stones of 2mm set all the way around.
- 11th, fashion jewelry (modern): anything she will actually wear, from a pair of studs to a slim tennis bracelet.
- 14th, gold jewelry (modern): our 14K gold filled pieces carry a solid 14K gold layer of at least 5% of the weight. Gold filled, not solid gold, and we say so.
- 25th, silver: most of our pieces are made on 925 sterling silver, so the theme can be literal. Check that the product page says sterling silver.
- 30th, diamond (modern): a solitaire or halo pendant in moissanite gives the look for a fraction of the cost.
- 40th, 45th and 55th: ruby red, sapphire blue and emerald green. Our Prisme colored moissanite gives those colors, though the stones are moissanite, not ruby, sapphire or emerald.
- 50th, gold: gold filled or solid gold, depending on budget.
- 60th, diamond: see the next section.
Anniversary pieces
Is moissanite right for a diamond anniversary?
Be honest with yourself about what the theme means to her. Moissanite is not a diamond. It is lab-grown silicon carbide, first found by Henri Moissan in 1893 in fragments of the Canyon Diablo meteorite, and it has low resale value. If she wants the word "diamond" on the certificate, buy a diamond.
If she wants the look, moissanite gives more of it per dollar. It rates 9.25 on the Mohs scale (diamond 10), so it handles daily wear, and its dispersion of 0.104 against 0.044 for diamond means about 2.4 times the rainbow fire. Every white Daellia stone is D color, VVS1. Tell her exactly what it is; honesty is part of the gift. Our moissanite guide covers the rest.
The same logic applies to the gemstone years. Colored moissanite has the same hardness and fire as the white stones, in the shade of the theme stone:
| Anniversary | Theme stone (Mohs) | Moissanite alternative (9.25 Mohs) |
|---|---|---|
| 30th and 60th | Diamond (10) | White moissanite, D color, VVS1 |
| 40th | Ruby (9) | Cerise red moissanite |
| 45th | Sapphire (9) | Azur blue moissanite |
| 55th | Emerald (7.5 to 8) | Absinthe green moissanite |
A moissanite stone gives the color, not the gem. Say which one it is when you give it.
Good to know
Standard thermal diamond testers read moissanite as diamond. A jeweler's multi-tester, which checks electrical conductivity, tells them apart. So yes, it passes the quick test, and no, it is not a diamond.
Traditional or modern: which list should you follow?
Neither is required. Traditional themes are symbolic and often cheap in the early years, which makes them fun: a letter for paper, a quilt for cotton, a weekend in a wooden cabin for wood. Modern themes are more practical: clocks, china, appliances.
- Pick the theme you like better for that year, traditional or modern.
- Make it personal. A paper gift can be concert tickets for the band you saw on your first date.
- Save jewelry for milestones like the 10th, 25th, 40th and 50th, when a piece becomes the story.
- Combine them. Tuck a handwritten letter (paper) in with a necklace; the theme becomes the card.
The theme gives you the idea. The memory gives you the gift.The Daellia Journal
Stuck between two ideas? A solitaire pendant like our Sirius necklace (six prongs on an 18 in box chain, from 1ct) fits almost any year. Or browse our best sellers for the pieces people choose first.
Mark the milestone
Eternity bands, tennis bracelets and solitaires in D color, VVS1 moissanite, with free tracked US shipping.
Shop best sellersFrequently asked questions
What are the traditional anniversary gifts by year?
The traditional list runs paper (1st), cotton (2nd), leather (3rd), fruit or flowers (4th), wood (5th), iron (6th), copper or wool (7th), bronze or pottery (8th), willow or pottery (9th) and tin or aluminum (10th). Milestones follow: china (20th), silver (25th), pearl (30th), ruby (40th), gold (50th) and diamond (60th).
What is the 1st anniversary gift?
Paper is the traditional 1st anniversary gift, and clocks are the modern one. Paper can mean a handwritten letter, a framed print, a book or tickets to something you will do together. A simple idea: pair a paper gift with a small piece of jewelry and let the letter be the card.
Which anniversary is the diamond anniversary?
The 60th anniversary is the diamond anniversary on both the traditional and modern lists. The modern list also names diamond jewelry for the 10th anniversary and diamond for the 30th, so an eternity band or a solitaire pendant fits those years well.
What is the 10 year anniversary gift?
The traditional 10th anniversary gift is tin or aluminum, and the modern gift is diamond jewelry. An eternity band, a tennis bracelet or a solitaire pendant are the usual choices, in diamond or, for the same look at a lower price, moissanite.
What is the 25th anniversary gift?
Silver, which is why the 25th is called the silver anniversary. Both traditional and modern lists agree on it. Anything in 925 sterling silver fits the theme, from a pendant to a tennis bracelet, and a white stone like moissanite adds sparkle to it.
Do you have to follow the anniversary gift list?
No. The lists are a tradition, not a rule, and they vary slightly between sources. Use them for inspiration, mix traditional and modern, or ignore them. What matters is that the gift shows you know the person; the theme is a bonus.
Keep reading
Written by the Daellia Journal team, Paris. We write about moissanite, metals and the stories behind fine jewelry so you can buy with confidence. Read our moissanite guide or our story.
