Anniversary Gifts by Year: 1st to 60th Gift Chart

Anniversary gifts by year follow a long-standing list of themes, starting with paper for the 1st anniversary and building to silver at 25, gold at 50 and diamond at 60. Many years also have a modern alternative, such as clocks for the 1st or diamond jewelry for the 10th. The chart below covers every year from 1 to 60 using Hallmark's published gift list, followed by the jewelry and gemstone list and a guide to choosing an anniversary ring.

Anniversary Gifts by Year Chart (1st to 60th)

Each year from 1 to 30, plus every fifth milestone, has a traditional and a modern gift, while the in-between years from 31 to 59 have a single theme.

Years 1 to 30 and the milestone years below come from Hallmark's individual anniversary pages. Hallmark's main list gives one theme for other years, shown as "Theme." Lists differ slightly between publishers, so you may see small variations elsewhere.

Anniversary	Traditional gift	Modern gift
1st	Paper	Clocks
2nd	Cotton	China
3rd	Leather	Crystal or glass
4th	Fruit or flowers	Appliances
5th	Wood	Silverware
6th	Candy or iron	Wood
7th	Wool or copper	Desk sets
8th	Pottery or bronze	Linens or lace
9th	Willow or pottery	Leather
10th	Tin or aluminum	Diamond jewelry
11th	Steel	Fashion jewelry
12th	Silk or linen	Pearls
13th	Lace	Textiles
14th	Ivory (Hallmark substitutes gold jewelry)	Gold jewelry
15th	Crystal	Watches
16th	Wax	Silverware
17th	Furniture	Furniture
18th	Porcelain	Porcelain
19th	Bronze	Bronze
20th	China	Platinum
21st	Brass	Nickel
22nd	Copper	Copper
23rd	Silver plate	Silver plate
24th	Opal	Musical instruments
25th	Silver	Silver
26th	Jade	Artwork
27th	Music	Music
28th	Linens	Linens
29th	Tools	Tools
30th	Pearl	Diamond
31st	Theme: Travel
32nd	Theme: Bronze
33rd	Theme: Iron
34th	Theme: Food
35th	Coral	Jade
36th	Theme: Antiques
37th	Theme: Books
38th	Theme: Luck
39th	Theme: Laughter
40th	Ruby	Ruby
41st	Theme: Office or desk decor
42nd	Theme: Clocks or watches
43rd	Theme: Entertainment
44th	Theme: Electronics
45th	Sapphire	Sapphire
46th	Theme: Games
47th	Theme: Garden or plants
48th	Theme: Home improvement
49th	Theme: Copper
50th	Gold	Gold
51st	Theme: Photos or cameras
52nd	Theme: Bath or spa
53rd	Theme: Plastic
54th	Theme: Glass
55th	Emerald	Emerald (Hallmark theme)
56th	Theme: Day
57th	Theme: Night
58th	Theme: Faith and hope
59th	Theme: Charity
60th	Diamond	Diamond

Notes on the chart

14th year: The traditional gift was ivory. Hallmark says it does not condone the ivory trade and lists gold jewelry instead.
55th year: Hallmark lists emerald as the theme, matching the traditional US list compiled in Wikipedia's wedding anniversary article.
Beyond 60: The traditional US list continues with blue sapphire at 65, platinum at 70 and diamond and gold at 75, according to Wikipedia's compilation.

Milestone Anniversaries at a Glance

The most celebrated anniversaries are the 25th (silver), 40th (ruby), 50th (gold) and 60th (diamond).

Milestone	Traditional	Modern	Common name
25th	Silver	Silver	Silver jubilee
30th	Pearl	Diamond	Pearl anniversary
40th	Ruby	Ruby	Ruby anniversary
50th	Gold	Gold	Golden jubilee
60th	Diamond	Diamond	Diamond jubilee

Brilliant Earth's anniversary guide refers to the 25th, 50th and 60th as the silver, golden and diamond jubilees, and the 70th as the platinum jubilee.

Anniversary Gemstones and Jewelry by Year

A separate jewelry list pairs each early anniversary with a gemstone or metal, from gold at year one to diamond at year ten.

This list, used widely by jewelers, is shown here as published in Brilliant Earth's anniversary gift guide. It covers years 1 to 10 and then the major milestones.

Anniversary	Jewelry gift
1st	Gold jewelry
2nd	Garnet jewelry
3rd	Pearl jewelry
4th	Topaz jewelry
5th	Sapphire jewelry
6th	Amethyst jewelry
7th	Onyx jewelry
8th	Tourmaline jewelry
9th	Lapis lazuli jewelry
10th	Diamond jewelry
15th	Ruby jewelry
20th	Emerald jewelry
25th	Silver jewelry
30th	Pearl jewelry
40th	Ruby jewelry
50th	Gold jewelry
60th	Diamond jewelry
70th	Platinum jewelry

Notice how the lists overlap: diamond appears as the modern 10th gift, the modern 30th gift and the 60th gift on both lists, which is why diamond and diamond-look rings are popular for those years.

Moissanite Anniversary Rings: Eternity Bands and Three-Stone Rings

Moissanite anniversary rings are a durable, lower-cost way to mark a diamond-themed year such as the 10th, 30th or 60th.

Moissanite rates 9.25 on the Mohs hardness scale, just below diamond at 10 and above ruby and sapphire at 9 according to GIA, so it suits a ring worn every day. Lab grown diamonds are another option for couples who want a diamond itself; GIA notes they share the crystal structure of natural diamonds.

Eternity bands

An eternity band sets a continuous row of stones around the band, and many couples read that unbroken circle as a symbol of lasting commitment. A half eternity band places stones across the top of the band only. Our eternity band guide explains the styles, and you can browse moissanite eternity bands to stack with an engagement ring.

Three-stone rings

Three-stone rings are often described as representing a couple's past, present and future, which makes them a popular anniversary upgrade. See our three-stone moissanite rings for designs with side stones in matching or contrasting shapes.

Shopping by milestone

Browse all moissanite anniversary rings.
For a diamond-themed 10th, see 10th anniversary jewelry gifts.
For a silver 25th, see 25th anniversary jewelry gifts.
For a diamond 60th, see 60th anniversary diamond jewelry.

If the ring is a surprise, borrow a ring your partner already wears on that finger and check it against our ring size chart, since fit can change over the years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the traditional anniversary gifts by year?

The traditional list starts with paper (1st), cotton (2nd), leather (3rd), fruit or flowers (4th) and wood (5th), then tin or aluminum for the 10th, crystal for the 15th and china for the 20th. Milestones are silver (25th), pearl (30th), coral (35th), ruby (40th), sapphire (45th), gold (50th), emerald (55th) and diamond (60th).

What is the difference between traditional and modern anniversary gifts?

Traditional gifts are the older material themes, such as paper for the 1st anniversary or tin for the 10th. Modern gifts are later alternatives, such as clocks for the 1st, diamond jewelry for the 10th and platinum for the 20th. Some years share the same gift on both lists, including silver at 25 and gold at 50.

Which anniversary is diamond?

Diamond is the traditional gift for the 60th anniversary, often called the diamond jubilee. Diamond jewelry is also the modern gift for the 10th anniversary, and diamond is the modern gift for the 30th, according to Hallmark. The jewelry anniversary list also pairs diamond with the 10th and 60th years.

What is the gemstone for each anniversary year?

On the widely used jewelry anniversary list, the first ten years are gold, garnet, pearl, topaz, sapphire, amethyst, onyx, tourmaline, lapis lazuli and diamond. Milestones include ruby for the 15th, emerald for the 20th, silver for the 25th, pearl for the 30th, ruby for the 40th, gold for the 50th and diamond for the 60th.

Is moissanite good for an anniversary ring?

Moissanite works well for anniversary rings worn every day because it rates 9.25 on the Mohs hardness scale, just below diamond at 10. It is a popular choice for eternity bands and three-stone rings marking diamond-themed years such as the 10th, 30th or 60th, especially for couples who want a large look on a set budget.

What kind of ring is given for an anniversary?

Eternity bands are the classic anniversary ring because the continuous row of stones is often read as a symbol of lasting love. Three-stone rings are another common choice, often described as representing past, present and future. Some couples instead upgrade the original engagement ring or add a stacking band.

Anniversary Gifts by Year: Traditional & Modern Chart (1 to 60)