Anniversary gifts by year

Each anniversary has a traditional theme and a modern one. They’re conventions rather than rules, and published lists differ in places; this is the most common US version. Below each theme is our suggestion for giving it as something they’ll actually use.

Which anniversary is it?

Years together

Traditional and modern anniversary gifts by year, with Shnoop’s ideas
Year	Traditional	Modern	Our idea
1	Paper	Clocks	A leather-bound journal for the year ahead, tickets to something you’ll both remember, or a framed print of a place that matters to you.
2	Cotton	China	Fine cotton bedding or a good robe — cotton you’ll use every day — or a small set of china for the table you share.
3	Leather	Crystal or glass	A leather piece built to age with use (a toiletry bag, a card case), or a pair of good wine glasses for the dinners you’re building.
4	Fruit or flowers	Appliances	Flowers they’d never buy themselves, a fruit tree for the garden, or one beautifully made kitchen appliance you’ll both use.
5	Wood	Silverware	Something wooden and lasting — a serving board, a keepsake box — or a single good set of flatware.
6	Candy or iron	Wood	Fine chocolate for the sweet version; enamelled cast iron for the one you’ll cook with for decades.
7	Wool or copper	Desk sets	A cashmere or wool layer for cold mornings, copper cookware, or a fountain pen for the desk.
8	Bronze or pottery	Linen or lace	Linen bedding or table linen, or a handmade ceramic piece from a potter you like.
9	Pottery or willow	Leather	A second leather anniversary: something larger this time, like a weekender or a briefcase.
10	Tin or aluminum	Diamond jewelry	The first big milestone. Diamond studs or a pendant are the classic modern answer; a small tin keepsake box holding ten notes is the sentimental one.
11	Steel	Fashion jewelry	Well-made steel kitchen knives or a steel watch, or a piece of everyday jewelry.
12	Silk or linen	Pearls	A silk pillowcase or silk sleepwear she’ll use nightly, or a simple strand of pearls.
13	Lace	Textiles	A beautiful throw or textile for the home — something soft you’ll both reach for.
14	Ivory	Gold jewelry	Ivory tones rather than ivory (real ivory is banned from most trade), or a piece of gold jewelry.
15	Crystal	Watches	Cut crystal for the table or a frame for a favourite photo, or a watch meant to last the next fifteen years.
20	China	Platinum	Heirloom-quality china, or platinum jewelry for a milestone.
25	Silver	Silver	The silver anniversary: sterling jewelry, a silver frame, or a trip that marks a quarter-century.
30	Pearl	Diamond	Pearls in the traditional list, diamonds in the modern one — a pearl strand or diamond pendant both fit.
35	Coral	Jade	Coral-toned or jade pieces; sustainably sourced alternatives to real coral are the considerate choice.
40	Ruby	Ruby	Ruby jewelry, or a red that echoes it: a bottle from your wedding year, deep-red glassware.
45	Sapphire	Sapphire	Sapphire jewelry — a bracelet or studs — in the stone’s classic blue.
50	Gold	Gold	The golden anniversary: gold jewelry, or a gathering of the people who were there fifty years ago.
55	Emerald	Emerald	Emerald jewelry, or something in deep green that nods to it.
60	Diamond	Diamond	Diamonds, the stone for the longest milestones — a pendant or studs to mark sixty years.

How to use the list

Treat the theme as a starting point, not an obligation. The best anniversary gifts we’ve seen take the theme loosely — cotton becomes the sheets you sleep on, leather becomes the bag that goes on every trip — and choose quality over novelty. For milestone years (10, 25, 50), many couples mark the date with jewelry or an experience rather than the theme itself.

Want a nudge before the date? Set a gift reminder and we’ll email you three weeks ahead, every year.