Wedding Anniversary 

Wedding Anniversary Gemstones

The traditional designation for wedding anniversaries go back to many years ago. The standard list, which includes each year for the first fifteen and each five years thereafter, was intended as a guide to the products which were considered proper to present to the married pair as gifts. The anniversary gift for the first fifteen years are inexpensive, for example, the first was paper, the second cotton, the fifth wood. Starting with thirtieth more expensive items (gemstone) were assigned to the wedding anniversary gifts from 30years onward:

1stPaper
2ndCotton
3rdLeather
4thFruit or Flowers
5thWood
6thSugar
7thCopper
8thBronze
9th Pottery
10thTin
11thSteel
12thSilk
13thLace
14thIvory (substitutions include white jade, or marble)
15thCrystal
20thChina
25thSilver
30thPearl
35thCoral
40thRuby
45thSapphire
50thGold
55thEmerald
60thDiamond
65thBlue Sapphire
70thPlatinum
80thOak

It should be noted that in actual practice, it is the husband who traditionally gives the wife a ring, necklace, bracelet, brooch, or pair of earring containing the gemstone to celebrate the anniversary.


Reference:
Birthstones and the lore of gemstones, Willard Heaps, Angus & Robertson PTY LTD,1971.

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