Anniversary gifts by year follow a set theme for each milestone: paper for the 1st anniversary, wood for the 5th, tin or aluminum for the 10th, silver for the 25th, pearl for the 30th, gold for the 50th and diamond for the 60th. Each year also has a modern gift and a gemstone, so couples can pick the version that suits them.
Below is the full list from year 1 to year 60, where it comes from, and a jewelry idea for every milestone.
Anniversary Gifts by Year: The Complete List
The table follows the anniversary chart published by the Emily Post Institute, which gives a classic (traditional) gift, a modern gift and a stone or metal for each milestone. The last column turns each theme into a jewelry gift.
| Year | Traditional | Modern | Stone or metal | Jewelry idea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper | Clocks | Gold | A love letter charm or a gold tone pendant |
| 2 | Cotton | China | Garnet | A deep red gemstone ring |
| 3 | Leather | Glass | Pearl | Pearl earrings or a pearl necklace |
| 4 | Fruit or flowers | Appliances | Blue topaz | Sky blue gemstone studs or a flower pendant |
| 5 | Wood | Silverware | Sapphire | A blue stone pendant |
| 6 | Iron | Wood objects | Amethyst | A purple gemstone ring |
| 7 | Copper or wool | Desk sets | Onyx | A black stone or copper tone piece |
| 8 | Bronze | Linen or lace | Tourmaline | A pink or green gemstone piece |
| 9 | Willow or pottery | Leather | Lapis lazuli | A deep blue pendant |
| 10 | Aluminum or tin | Diamond jewelry | Diamond | A sparkling tennis bracelet |
| 15 | Crystal | Watches | Ruby | A crystal heart necklace |
| 20 | China | Platinum | Emerald | A green stone or white metal piece |
| 25 | Sterling silver | Sterling silver | Silver | Silver jewelry |
| 30 | Pearl | Diamond | Pearl | A pearl strand or pearl drop |
| 35 | Coral | Jade | Emerald | A green or coral toned piece |
| 40 | Ruby | Ruby | Ruby | A red stone ring or pendant |
| 45 | Sapphire | Sapphire | Sapphire | A blue stone piece |
| 50 | Gold | Gold | Gold | Gold jewelry |
| 55 | Emerald | Emerald | Emerald | A green stone piece |
| 60 | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond | A diamond keepsake |
Source for the traditional, modern and stone columns: the Emily Post Institute anniversary gifts by year chart. The chart skips years 11 to 14. The US traditional list on Wikipedia's wedding anniversary entry gives steel for the 11th, silk for the 12th, lace for the 13th and ivory for the 14th.
Where the Anniversary Gift List Comes From
The anniversary gift list started as a short etiquette guide and grew into a year by year chart in the 20th century. Silver and gold came first, and the rest was added later.
Emily Post's 1922 book Etiquette listed only eight anniversary themes: paper at 1 year, wood at 5, tin at 10, crystal at 15, china at 20, silver at 25, gold at 50 and diamond at 75. In 1937 the American National Retail Jeweler Association, now Jewelers of America, introduced the expanded list that fills in most years (Post, 1922; Wikipedia).
You can read the original list in the Project Gutenberg edition of Etiquette by Emily Post. Post noted that the paper, wooden and tin presents were "seldom anything but jokes," that silver "is always serious," and that the golden wedding was "a quite sacred event."
The silver and gold milestones are much older than the book. Wikipedia notes that linking the 25th anniversary with silver and the 50th with gold has been documented in Germanic countries since the 1500s.
1922 vs Today: How the Milestones Changed
The biggest change between the 1922 list and today's list is the diamond anniversary, which moved from the 75th year to the 60th. The modern list also adds gemstones and modern gifts for every milestone.
| Milestone | Emily Post, 1922 | Emily Post Institute chart today |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper | Paper (traditional), clocks (modern), gold (stone or metal) |
| 5th | Wood | Wood, silverware, sapphire |
| 10th | Tin | Aluminum or tin, diamond jewelry, diamond |
| 15th | Crystal | Crystal, watches, ruby |
| 25th | Silver | Sterling silver, sterling silver, silver |
| 50th | Gold | Gold for all three |
| Diamond | 75th | 60th |
The pattern is clear: early years carry humble, everyday materials, and later years carry more precious ones. The theme grows in value as the marriage grows in length.
Traditional vs Modern vs Gemstone Anniversary Gifts
Traditional anniversary gifts are the older material themes, modern gifts are a later update built around practical objects, and gemstones give each year a stone that suits jewelry. You can follow any one of the three, or mix them.
- Traditional suits couples who love history and symbolism, such as paper for a first anniversary.
- Modern suits couples who prefer a useful gift, such as a clock or a watch.
- Gemstone suits jewelry gifts, because each year names a stone that can be set in a ring, pendant or earrings.
Many anniversary stones also appear on the birthstone list, such as garnet, sapphire and amethyst. The birthstone chart by month covers the color and meaning of each one.
Jewelry Ideas for Key Anniversary Milestones
Jewelry is the easiest way to honor an anniversary theme, because many milestones are named for a metal or a gem. These picks match the most searched years.
1st anniversary: paper and gold
Nod to paper with the Love Letter Charm, or to gold with the Heart Of Gold Charm. Add a handwritten letter to cover the paper theme twice.
3rd and 30th anniversaries: pearl
Pearl is the gemstone for year 3 and the traditional gift for year 30. Try the Lover Pearl Necklace or browse the pearl collection.
5th, 40th, 45th and 55th anniversaries: colored stones
Sapphire, ruby and emerald make these milestones easy to match with color. Browse gemstone rings and gemstone necklaces, and check each product page for the stone used.
10th anniversary: diamond jewelry
Diamond jewelry is the modern 10th anniversary gift. For sparkle on any budget, look at a tennis style such as the Honeymoon Tennis Bracelet or the full tennis bracelets collection.
15th anniversary: crystal
Crystal is the traditional 15th anniversary gift. The Crystal Heart Outline Necklace matches the theme by name.
25th and 50th anniversaries: silver and gold
Silver and gold are the two oldest anniversary themes. Explore the EVRY silver collection for the 25th, and read how to mix gold and silver jewelry if you want to honor both.
Matching Rings and Couple Gifts for Any Anniversary
A matching ring set works for any anniversary year, because it marks the bond itself rather than a single theme. Couple rings also make a good gift when the year's material is hard to wear.
Emily Post wrote in her 1922 Etiquette that the paper, wooden and tin anniversary presents were "seldom anything but jokes," while silver was "always serious." That century old advice still works for anniversary shopping: early milestones reward playful, symbolic gifts, and the 25th and 50th anniversaries call for a piece meant to be kept (Post, 1922).
Shop couple rings and promise rings for couples, or start with the Forever Linked Ring and the Double Date Ring. Before buying, use the guide to measuring ring size at home, and see how to stack rings to pair a new band with a wedding set.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anniversary Gifts by Year
What is the anniversary for each year?
Each anniversary year has a traditional theme: paper for the 1st, cotton for the 2nd, leather for the 3rd, fruit or flowers for the 4th, wood for the 5th, iron for the 6th, copper or wool for the 7th, bronze for the 8th, pottery for the 9th and tin or aluminum for the 10th. After that, the main milestones are crystal (15), china (20), silver (25), pearl (30), ruby (40), gold (50) and diamond (60).
What is the traditional gift for a 1 year anniversary?
Paper is the traditional 1 year anniversary gift, and it has been on the list since Emily Post's 1922 Etiquette. The modern 1st anniversary gift is a clock, and the stone or metal is gold, according to the Emily Post Institute chart. Popular paper ideas include love letters, framed prints, books and tickets. For jewelry, a charm or pendant with a love letter or heart motif honors the theme.
What is the 10 year anniversary gift?
The traditional 10 year anniversary gift is tin or aluminum, and the modern gift is diamond jewelry. Tin was already the 10th anniversary theme in 1922, when Emily Post listed only eight milestones. Some couples give a small tin keepsake plus a sparkling piece of jewelry to cover both the traditional and the modern list in one gift. A tennis bracelet is a popular sparkle option.
Why is the 25th anniversary silver?
The 25th anniversary is silver because silver and gold are the oldest anniversary themes. Wikipedia notes that linking silver with 25 years and gold with 50 years has been documented in Germanic countries since the 1500s, and Emily Post's 1922 list kept both. In that book, Post wrote that a silver anniversary gift "is always serious," which is why the 25th is usually marked with a lasting piece.
Which anniversary is diamond, 60th or 75th?
Today the diamond anniversary is the 60th, according to the Emily Post Institute chart. Emily Post's original 1922 list placed diamond at the 75th anniversary instead. The list was expanded in 1937 by the American National Retail Jeweler Association, and modern charts now treat the 60th as diamond. Diamond jewelry is also the modern gift for the 10th anniversary, so the stone appears twice on the chart.
Find a piece that marks your milestone in the EVRY Lover collection.
