Wedding Anniversary Gift Traditions and Their Modern Equivalents

Anniversaries are significant—they memorialize something significant, something personal, something we enjoy remembering each and every year. That's why people love to celebrate anniversaries! Marking a special day with a celebration or a token of affection is a wonderful and common way to commemorate the most important events in our lives.

Wedding anniversaries especially are important to celebrate in style. Marriage may be "until death do us part," and while it's easy at the start to feel like every day is special, unique, and worth cherishing, every couple falls into a routine over time. That's why anniversaries are a great opportunity to pause, breathe, and remember why you married the love of your life to begin with.

Traditionally, certain anniversaries have certain types of gifts associated with them. Some of these traditions, such as the importance of celebrating the 25th and 50th wedding anniversary, date back to the Middle Ages. The 25th anniversary is traditionally something silver—in the Middle Ages it was a silver wreath—that signifies the harmony needed to make long term marriages work so well. The traditional gold given at the 50th anniversary also dates that far back into our collective past!

In the 1920s, Emily Post wrote about "eight anniversaries known to all," and those were the first, fifth, tenth, twentieth, fiftieth, and seventy-fifth anniversaries. But she went on to say that the first fifteen years of marriage really ought to be acknowledged and then every five years from then on. And this is how we tend to recognize anniversaries to this day!

Now, we should note that the traditional gift for each anniversary differs in Europe. And in America, there are actually a few lists you can use when it comes to determining the perfect anniversary gift for your significant other. But, in terms of the appropriate jewelry gift to get your spouse, here's a Noe's guide:

• 1st: Gold
• 2nd: Garnet
• 3rd: Pearls
• 4th: Citrine
• 5th: Sapphire
• 6th: Amethyst
• 7th: Onyx
• 8th: Tourmaline
• 9th: Lapis
• 10th: Diamonds
• 15th: Ruby
• 20th: Peridot
• 50th: Gold

In some cases, traditional gifts such as clocks, silverware, and china can be fun. But some of them can be a little odd. While some will enjoy gifts of iron, linen, or wool, here at Noe's Jewelry we recommend married couples interested in celebrating their anniversaries check out our selection of jewelry gifts in Kansas City.

There are no rules about how you should give your loved one an anniversary gift—you can surprise them, of course (who doesn't love shiny things in small boxes?), but you can also set a date and come into Noe's Jewelry to pick out something. Do it on your anniversary—or do it before, so they can wear their new earrings, pendant, necklace, or ring on a special anniversary date. Sometimes, rings need to be resized, or your spouse may have their heart set on a loose stone to be put into a custom setting, so it's best to do that in advance of the big day… even if that big day is just ordering a pizza and sitting on the couch! Trust us, a sparkly ring looks just as good while enjoying a slice and some Game of Thrones or your favorite movie on-demand as it does at Café Sebastienne.

Let Noe's help you celebrate your anniversary with the gift of jewelry at our Raymore, Missouri jewelry store!