| 1st
Anniversary
|
Gold |
The first year anniversary is the
sweetest - a
couple's probably
still in the honeymoon phase and all is right with their world. But starting
a life
together may not leave a whole lot of disposable income. A simple gold
necklace or
bracelet for her, maybe starting a tradition with a charm bracelet you can
add to with
the signature gem for subsequent anniversaries or other significant events
in your life
together. For him, a gold necklace or ring or cuff links. |
| 2nd
Anniversary
|
Garnet |
Though garnet comes in several
colors, including
yellow, green
(called tsavorite) and pink, the color most often thought of is red. Red
garnet -
sometimes called rhodolite garnet - is the classic garnet choice for use in
jewelry.
It's a relatively hard stone, and can be used in any jewelry piece or
design, including
rings, earrings and pendants. Red garnet really pops when set in a white
metal, like
white gold or platinum. |
| 3rd
Anniversary
|
Pearls |
Pearls can be natural or cultured.
Natural pearls
are much more
expensive than cultured, but that's about the only difference - even a
cultured pearl is
a beautiful, luminescent product of nature, growing in the same way as
natural pearls.
Both are brought into being by an intruder like sand or tiny pebble (for
natural) or a
bead or seed pearl (for cultured) implanting itself in a mollusk, such as an
oyster or
mussel. In natural pearls, it's just luck if it turns into a pearl. With
cultured, the
pearl farmer inserts the irritant, and the pearl grows around it. All pearls
are
available in many colors other than the classic white — pink, blue, green,
golden,
gray
and black are all available. Pearl jewelry can be a matched string, a
pendant on a
necklace, earrings or a ring. Just be careful — pearls are more fragile than
other
materials, so a ring should be worn for sedate occasions where there's not
much chance
of banging it in to anything by mistake. For men, anything inlaid with
mother-of-pearl
is also a great gift for this anniversary. |
| 4th
Anniversary
|
Blue Topaz |
Topaz is found in many colors and
shades, and
blue topaz was
originally the most rare. However, today a permanent treatment, diffusion —
which is
heating with a coating of an element such as beryllium - turns colorless
topaz a light
blue. The treatment is permanent. Deeper blues, known as “London blue” and
“Swiss
blue,”
are caused by irradiation and heating, and the treatment is considered
permanent. Blue
topaz is a hardy stone, and the many shades look gorgeous in a variety of
jewelry
styles, from earrings and pendants to bracelets and rings. Blue topaz has
historically
been associated with love and affection — pretty perfect reasons to give it
as an
anniversary gift. |
| 5th
Anniversary
|
Sapphire |
Sapphire is also found in many
colors, though the
classic choice is
blue. If blue's not your color, you can also commonly find white, shades of
pink and
violet. Padparadscha sapphire is orange with pink tones. To get the perfect
colors, a
sapphire is heat treated or diffusion treated, and both are considered
permanent.
Sapphire is a hard and durable gemstone, so it's great for any piece of
jewelry. |
| 6th
Anniversary
|
Amethyst |
Usually thought of as purple, with
varying shades
looking a bit
more red or blue, you can also find this type of quartz in other colors,
like green.
Some stones may be heat treated to enhance their colors, which is a
permanent treatment.
Amethyst is widely available in all styles of jewelry. |
| 7th
Anniversary
|
Onyx |
Onyx is hard, durable, used for
carving and is
popular in men's
jewelry. So this anniversary is a great opportunity for men to get jewelry
as a gift! A
bold onyx ring (maybe with diamond accents) is a great way to mark the
occasion. For
her, black onyx paired with white metal creates a stylish color-blocking
neutral, and
simple onyx stud earrings are a stylish twist. |
| 8th
Anniversary
|
Tourmaline |
Whatever your favorite color, you can
probably
find it in
tourmaline. Even if you or your beloved have different favorites, you may be
able to
find them both in one gem - gemologists call them parti-colored. The
watermelon
tourmaline is a parti-colored gem, and gets its name from its mix of green
and red, just
like the outside and inside of a watermelon. Tourmaline is often heated or
irradiated to
create the colors, and the treatments are considered permanent. |
| 9th
Anniversary
|
Lapis Lazuli |
It's not the most popular blue stone
used in
jewelry, but you can
still find some things using the cobalt-blue gem - PANDORA® makes some
charms and
jewelry using it. It can also be found in craft jewelry, and it's used in
the Chinese
practice of feng shui - a method of working with the natural and
supernatural to balance
positive and negative energies. |
| 10th
Anniversary
|
Diamond |
Ten years of marriage qualifies as a
milestone,
so diamond jewelry
is a great idea! For her, this is a perfect opportunity to add a diamond
anniversary
band to her engagement ring and wedding ring. For him, consider a diamond
ring or, if he
wears an earring, a beautiful diamond stud. |
| 11th
Anniversary
|
Turquoise |
Turquoise can be green, greenish-blue
to light to
deeper blue. It's
been used in jewelry and as adornment throughout recorded history, though
today it's
mostly thought of as emblematic of the southwestern U.S. It looks great in
sterling
silver, and is available as the primary focus of a piece of jewelry or as
accents.
Turquoise looks especially modern when paired with leather, in bracelets and
necklaces,
and is a great choice for men or women. |
| 12th
Anniversary
|
Jade |
Jade has been popular around the
world for
centuries - though China
and Japan are most noted for jade carvings and ornamentation. Though it can
be found in
many colors, the signature color of jade is green. In jewelry, it's usually
carved into
beads for necklaces and earrings. In rings, jade is at its most gorgeous
shaped into the
round domed shape called cabochon. You can also find cabochon pendants and
carved
pendants. |
| 13th
Anniversary
|
Citrine |
Citrine is like seeing a burst of
sunshine on a
cloudy day - a
beautiful yellow to yellow-orange gem. It's popular and affordable and lends
itself well
to any design, with any color of metal. Citrine with yellow gold is a warm
tone-on-tone
look, and can be shot with drama by the addition of diamonds. A white gold
or sterling
silver setting accentuates its bright and sunny disposition. |
| 14th
Anniversary
|
Opal |
There's a lot of variety in opal - it
can be
almost transparent to
opaque. It can come in many colors, but the most common you'll find in
jewelry is a
creamy white with a rainbow play of color within the stone. This makes it
especially
fabulous when used as the focal point of a piece of jewelry with accent
stones picking
up or contrasting with the play of colors within the opal. There's a bright
flame-orange
variety known as fire opal. |
| 15th
Anniversary
|
Ruby |
Rubies are emblems of love and
passion, an
equation brought about
by their amazing saturated reds. Most rubies you'll find today have been
heat treated to
improve their color and clarity. You can find rubies in every sort of
jewelry. |
| 16th
Anniversary
|
Peridot |
Peridot comes in various shades of
green, but
tends toward lighter,
grassy greens. It pairs well with white metals, while yellow gold plays up
the
spring-like yellow undertones. Peridot is fairly soft and can scratch, so
take care with
rings. |
| 17th
Anniversary
|
Watches |
This is another perfect time for a
man to receive
a great
anniversary gift he's sure to love. Because it's a special occasion, look to
see what
gap in his watch wardrobe can be filled. If he has a dressier watch with a
leather band,
go with a stainless steel band and case or vice versa. Of course, a woman
will
appreciate a new watch too! |
| 18th
Anniversary
|
Cat's Eye |
When cut in the rounded cabochon cut,
several
gemstones can bear
the straight line caused by tiny inclusions that catch the light just right
that creates
the look of a cat's eye - it's like half of the star in a star sapphire. The
rarest
gemstone that has this phenomenon is the chrysoberyl, but it can also occur
in quartz,
sapphire and ruby. |
| 19th
Anniversary
|
Aquamarine |
As that name suggests, the best
examples of
aquamarine look like
the shifting colors of the Caribbean — from a clear pale blue to darker
blues to
shades
with green. As you pass the 19th year of marriage, it might be good to know
that
aquamarine has historically been a symbol of fidelity and hope. |
| 20th
Anniversary
|
Emerald |
Emerald's beautiful green lends
itself to any
type of jewelry,
though it is fragile due to layers and fissures within the gemstone. A ring
should be
worn with care - but this is such a classic, elegant stone that saving it
for special
occasions is easy! Emeralds are often treated with oils, paraffin or resins
to fill
fissures and improve clarity, and hardeners may be added to increase its
toughness. |
| 21st
Anniversary
|
Iolite |
Iolite is a blue to violet-blue
gemstone that's
often overshadowed
by more popular blue stones. Because of this, it's not as easy to find in
contemporary
jewelry. |
| 22nd
Anniversary
|
Spinel |
Another gemstone that doesn't get
enough love,
spinel comes in a
variety of colors and is durable and affordable. You'll often see it in red,
purple,
blue and pink, though black spinel is a dramatic look, either as a center
stone or as
accents. |
| 23rd
Anniversary
|
Imperial Topaz |
The name “imperial topaz” simply
refers to
topaz
that can range
from yellow to a deep golden color often likened to cognac. So while women
can have
their jewelry, perhaps men can be given a fine bottle of cognac to toast the
23rd
anniversary. |
| 24th
Anniversary
|
Tanzanite |
First found in the late 1960s,
tanzanite is the
new kid on the
block, when you consider how many gemstones have been prized throughout
recorded
history. It's a blue gem, often with a purplish/violet tone. It pairs best
with white
metals like white gold, platinum or sterling silver and is available in a
wide range of
styles and settings. Stones are often heat-treated to improve the color, and
the
treatment is considered permanent. |
| 25th
Anniversary
|
Silver Jubilee |
The 25th is known as the silver
jubilee, so go
nuts! There's so
much available in sterling silver for both him and her, from jewelry to home
accents,
that you could - and should - splurge. You don't need to limit yourself to
only silver,
either. Embrace the color, and you can include metal watches or white gold
or platinum
jewelry for both. |
| 30th
Anniversary
|
Pearl Jubilee |
Both cultured and natural pearls are
created by
layers - a nice
metaphor for the years and love that have grown over time. The layers are
called nacre,
and the nacre is what gives pearls their luminescence. Since it's also the
gem for the
third anniversary, now's a perfect time to upgrade. If it was a simple
pendant then,
maybe a full matched string is called for. If it was a matched string then,
maybe it's
time for the long opera length necklace. Play with color too — there are so
many color
options beyond white. |
| 35th
Anniversary
|
Emerald |
Emerald is such a classic gemstone,
it comes up
twice on the
anniversary list (it was the selection for 20 years too). Maybe this time
get a set of
earrings to complement the necklace she got 15 years ago. |
| 40th
Anniversary
|
Ruby |
Another repeat here, ruby is also the
gem for the
fifteenth. But
its draw remains - that gorgeous red that expresses the essence of love.
|
| 45th
Anniversary
|
Sapphire |
If sapphire slipped your mind 40
years ago (it's
the gem for the
fifth anniversary), it's time to make up for that! Or if you did get the
classic blue
sapphire then, consider a piece in one of the other colors of sapphire. |
| 50th
Anniversary
|
Golden Jubilee |
What more could you ask for? An
excuse to give
your love something
in gold. For him, perhaps a gold watch. For her, the sky's the limit — plain
gold in
yellow, white or rose, perhaps set with diamonds and/or gemstones. |
| 55th
Anniversary
|
Alexandrite |
This gem is named for a Russian czar,
and after
55 years, you
should be treating each other like royalty. Alexandrite's most striking
feature is its
ability to change color - it's purplish red in incandescent light, but under
fluorescent
light or outside light it's teal or greenish blue. |
| 60th
Anniversary
|
Diamond |
You've been together a long time;
your love and
commitment to each
other can never be doubted. It might be time for someone else - perhaps your
kids or
grandkids - to show their love and pride with a gift of diamond jewelry.
Celebrate with
style, you've earned it. |
| 70th
Anniversary
|
Platinum Jubilee |
The 70th anniversary is the platinum
jubilee.
Platinum is a hard
and rare white metal that was largely unavailable at the time anyone
celebrating a 70th
anniversary got married. Maybe a bracelet or necklace would be the perfect
way to
commemorate the occasion. |
| 75th
Anniversary
|
Sapphire |
The 75th anniversary is the sapphire
jubilee, so
celebrate with a
sapphire bracelet or ring in many colors, representing the variety of
adventures you
have experienced together in life. |
| 80th
Anniversary
|
Ruby |
The 80th anniversary is the ruby
jubilee. If she
doesn't have a
ruby ring or pin by now, this is the perfect time to give her one! |