Anniversary Gifts

What is more joyous and heartfelt than giving your loved one a special gift each year to commemorate a wedding anniversary? Traditionally, every anniversary is celebrated by giving a gift made from a different material. It isn't clear when this traditional list came into existence. It probably originated in the Middle Ages when very few people could afford rare stones and jewelry and it evolved over time. But these days, giving paper, cotton or glass somehow don’t seem to capture the significance of the happiest day of your life.

There is a new tradition gaining popularity, however. And it will please your loved one a whole lot more than paper or glass. It’s the growing trend of giving a lasting gift of beautiful gemstone jewelry for your anniversary. Here is a list of gemstones that are quickly becoming the accepted norms to commemorate each anniversary year.

Anniversary	Gemstone	Alternate Gemstone
1st	Mother of Pearl	Peridot
2nd	Garnet	-
3rd	Pearls	Jade
4th	Blue Topaz	Blue Zircon
5th	Sapphire	Pink Tourmaline
6th	Amethyst	Turquoise
7th	Onyx	Yellow Sapphire or Golden Beryl
8th	Tourmaline	Tanzanite
9th	Lapis Lazuli	Amethyst or Green Spinel
10th	Diamond Jewelry	Blue Sapphire
11th	Turquoise	Citrine, Yellow Zircon
12th	Jade	Opal
13th	Citrine	Moonstone or Hawk's Eye
14th	Opal	Agate or Bloodstone
15th	Ruby	Rhodolite Garnet or Alexandrite
16th	Peridot	Red Spinel
17th	Watches	Carnelian
18th	Cat's Eye or Chrysoberyl	Aquamarine
19th	Aquamarine	Almandine Garnet
20th	Emerald	Yellow or Golden Diamond
21st	Iolite	-
22nd	Spinel	-
23rd	Imperial Topaz	-
24th	Tanzanite	-
25th	Silver Jubilee	Tsavorite or Green Garnet
30th	Pearl Jubilee
35th	Emerald
40th	Ruby
45th	Sapphire	Cat's Eye
50th	Golden Jubilee	Imperial or Golden Topaz
55th	Alexandrite	-
60th	Diamond Jubilee	Star Ruby

If you are a purist and don’t want to break with tradition, however, there are other creative ways to satisfy your traditional inclinations with modern flair.For instance, you can always tuck a ring inside a leather wallet, tie a cluster of roses together with a bracelet, or hide a necklace inside the pocket of a silk robe.You’ll be following time-honored tradition while delivering an anniversary gift that engenders deep feelings for years to come.