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Anniversary Gifts by Year
Pick a year or enter your wedding date to see the traditional and modern anniversary themes, the UK list and gift ideas at three price levels.
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Anniversary gifts by year
Traditional and modern lists are American; the UK list mostly matches the traditional one and has sugar for the 6th year. British lists do not fully agree with each other: older ones put cotton before paper and give linen for the 4th year, so those variants are shown in brackets.
| Year | Traditional (US) | Modern (US) | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper | Clocks | Paper (or cotton) |
| 2nd | Cotton | China | Cotton (or paper) |
| 3rd | Leather | Crystal or glass | Leather |
| 4th | Fruit and flowers | Appliances | Fruit and flowers (or linen, silk) |
| 5th | Wood | Silverware | Wood |
| 6th | Iron | Wood | Sugar |
| 7th | Wool or copper | Desk set | Wool (or copper) |
| 8th | Bronze | Linens and lace | Bronze (or pottery) |
| 9th | Pottery | Leather | Pottery or willow |
| 10th | Tin or aluminum | Diamond jewelry | Tin |
| 11th | Steel | Fashion jewelry | Steel |
| 12th | Silk or linen | Pearls | Silk (or linen) |
| 13th | Lace | Textiles and furs | Lace |
| 14th | Ivory | Gold jewelry | Ivory |
| 15th | Crystal | Watches | Crystal |
| 20th | China | Platinum | China |
| 25th | Silver | Silver | Silver |
| 30th | Pearl | Diamond | Pearl |
| 35th | Coral | Jade | Coral (or jade) |
| 40th | Ruby | Ruby | Ruby |
| 45th | Sapphire | Sapphire | Sapphire |
| 50th | Gold | Gold | Gold |
| 55th | Emerald | Emerald | Emerald (or turquoise) |
| 60th | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond |
| 65th | Blue sapphire | — | Blue sapphire |
| 70th | Platinum | — | Platinum |
| 75th | Diamond (or gold) | — | Diamond |
FAQ
Should I follow the traditional or the modern list?
Either — or both. The traditional materials make for creative, often inexpensive gifts; the modern list leans toward jewelry and home goods. Many couples pick the theme and then choose whatever suits their partner.
What do I give for years that aren't listed, like the 16th?
The traditional lists skip most years after 15 and only mark every fifth year. Choose something personal, or plan ahead for the next milestone.
What about ivory and coral?
They belong to old lists, but real ivory trade is banned in many countries and wild coral reefs are endangered. Ivory-colored or coral-colored gifts — or jade, the modern 35th-year stone — keep the tradition without the harm.
Do you link to stores?
Not at the moment. Ideas come with a price range in words so you can shop wherever you like.
Anniversary gift lists are customs, not rules, and sources differ on some years. Only a handful of years (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50) appear in etiquette books of the early 1900s; American jewelers drew up the longer lists in the 1920s and 1930s, and 1937 is the date usually given for the modern one. British lists do not fully agree with each other; the UK column follows Debrett's, with older British variants in brackets.
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