Anniversary Gemstones by Year: The Complete List

Diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald in one band, which covers the tenth, fortieth, forty-fifth and sixtieth in a single purchase. Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Harem Ring, 18K gold

Anniversary gemstone lists exist in two versions that disagree with each other, and knowing that is the most useful thing on this page. The traditional list is old, mostly not jewelry at all, and runs paper, cotton, leather, and so on. The modern list was assembled in the twentieth century, largely by the jewelry trade, and assigns a gemstone to every year. Neither is a rule. Both are useful if you want a reason to choose one stone over another.

The list, year by year

The years that everybody actually remembers are the ones where both lists agree: 25 silver, 40 ruby, 50 gold, 60 diamond. Those four have real cultural weight. The rest are a helpful prompt rather than an obligation, and no recipient has ever counted.

A dealer's honest advice

Buy the person, not the list. If year eleven says turquoise and she has never worn a blue stone in her life, the list is wrong and you are right. The stone is a starting point for choosing, not a specification.

Watch the hardness on daily-wear pieces. Some of the assigned stones are soft: opal at 5.5 to 6.5, pearl at 2.5 to 4.5, lapis at 5, turquoise at 5 to 6. They are wonderful in pendants and earrings and hard work in a ring worn every day. Sapphire, ruby and diamond are the durable end, which is a small mercy given they occupy the big anniversaries.

Consider an antique piece for the milestone years. For a fortieth or fiftieth there is something to be said for a jewel that has already been somebody's for most of a century, and the arithmetic works in your favour, as set out in why buy vintage instead of new.

Four stones, four different anniversaries, one pair of ears. Half Hoop Studs with Emerald, Diamond, Sapphire and Ruby

If you have missed several

Two approaches that work. Buy a multi-stone piece, which lets one jewel stand for several years at once and is the reason pieces like the ones above exist. Or ignore the year entirely and buy the birthstone instead, using the list in birthstones by month, which has the advantage of being about the person rather than the calendar.

Frequently asked questions

What is the gemstone for the 5th anniversary?

Sapphire on the modern list; wood on the traditional one. Sapphire is hard-wearing and suits daily wear well.

What stone is the 10th anniversary?

Diamond on the modern list, with tin or aluminium as the traditional material. Ten is often marked with a diamond eternity ring for that reason.

Why are there two anniversary lists?

The traditional list is old and mostly names household materials. The modern gemstone list was assembled in the twentieth century, largely by the jewelry trade.

Which anniversaries have the strongest traditions?

Silver at 25, ruby at 40, gold at 50 and diamond at 60. Both lists agree on those, and they carry real cultural weight.

Do I have to follow the list?

Not at all. It is a prompt for choosing, not a rule, and buying what the person actually wears matters considerably more.

Which anniversary stones are too soft for a ring?

Opal, pearl, lapis lazuli and turquoise are all soft and porous. They are better in pendants and earrings than in a ring worn every day.

What if I want one piece to cover several years?

A multi-stone piece works well, and combinations of ruby, sapphire, emerald and diamond cover four of the major anniversaries at once.

Read next: Birthstones by month · What is an eternity ring? · Why buy vintage instead of new?

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