The anniversary of a relationship is a truly special occasion. It is a testament to the power of your love and your commitment to each other. Over the years, several lists have been developed as a guide to anniversary gifts that dictate how you should memorialize each year you’ve spent together as a couple.
For example, the traditional list suggests that paper, cotton, and leather are the appropriate gifts for the first three years of marriage. The modern list advocates clocks, china, crystal, and appliances.
While these lists are continuously evolving to accommodate modern lifestyles, at Trumpet & Horn, we believe that there are certain gifts that never go out of style. Jewelry—whether it’s a ring, necklace, or bracelet—is always a stunning expression of love and dedication. It’s much more romantic than receiving a dishwasher for your fourth year of marriage!
Using our gorgeous collection of vintage and antique jewelry as inspiration, we’ve decided to create our own guide to anniversary gifts, listed by year. If it’s time to celebrate with your loved one, follow the gift guide below to find the perfect anniversary gift for each year of your marriage.
By Jewelry Style
When considering a piece of jewelry for your loved one, it’s important to ask yourself what style of pieces they wear most often. If their collection is full of earrings and necklaces, it’s best to maintain that style. Hopefully, you’ll find something extra romantic to symbolize your love.
Rings
Rings serve as a reminder of your wedding day. Reminiscent of your day at the altar, an anniversary ring is a renewed pledge of the vows you said years ago. They symbolize your precious and unending love. Usually, anniversary rings are presented on milestone years—like the 10th or 20th anniversaries—but in our guide to anniversary gifts, we think they can be a beautiful gesture for any year.
Rings have the added benefit of versatility as a gift, especially since they come in many styles. For example, an eternity band that matches the existing marriage set can be worn every day as a reminder of your love. On the other hand, a statement piece, such as St. Tropez (with its large emerald cut aquamarine), is a grandiose statement of your love and can be worn on special occasions.
You can also find a truly unique piece—like the Bayswater—that will mimic the unique personality and charm of your significant other. The Griffin with sapphire and emerald accents is eternally chasing its own tail, distinctly mirroring the symbolism of the eternity band.
Necklaces
When you select a necklace as your anniversary gift, you’re choosing a piece that she can wear every day. While a heart shaped pendant or an infinity sign adds meaning, a special gemstone can personalize your gift. Feature their birthstone or their favorite gem for a meaningful gift.
Necklaces don’t have to be subtle gifts. If your loved one is full of passion and soul, perhaps the Seed Pearl and Tourmaline Choker is more appropriate. With its chains of tiny, delicate pearls and 18k frame dotted with colorful tourmaline, this piece is an absolute showstopper.
Whichever you choose, our guide to anniversary gifts suggests that you keep your significant other in mind to ensure that you present them with a necklace that they will treasure forever.
Bracelets
We added bracelets to our guide to anniversary gifts because they are inherently a symbol of eternity, due to their circular appearance. While bracelets are a little different than rings because they often open and close, some view this feature as an additional symbol of love. While some bracelets utilize a clasp, which can be reminiscent of a couple holding hands, others utilize a hook, symbolizing the male intertwining with the female.
Many vintage and antique bracelets are further enhanced by the symbolism and meaning behind the stones, as well as the engraving or milgraining.
Earrings
Earrings are some of the most popular on the guide to anniversary gifts list. Although a pair of diamond or gemstone studs are a classic choice, more unique designs are often ideal for a milestone anniversary. Since many people change their earrings to match their outfit or mood, you can give your significant other many different pairs to match their style.
If they prize rarity, our Georgian style chandelier earrings are perfect, especially since the authentic Georgian style is scarce and the architecture of the earring contains more than thirty delicately placed diamonds.
Waterlily earrings are a great choice for the woman who loves nature. These one-of-a-kind earrings were inspired by the Art Nouveau era and seamlessly combine the classic style with modern finesse.
Gifts by Year
Since Trumpet & Horn has decided to create our own guide to anniversary gifts by year, we’ve chosen some of the most popular and meaningful gemstones and designs to accompany a list that encompasses the newlywed year through the 50th.Year 1: Silver
Silver has a rich mythic history and is a part of history all around the world. This metal is attributed to several goddesses across many cultures, including the Greek Artemis (goddess of the hunt), the Roman Diana (goddess of the moon), and the Arabic Manat (goddess of fate), which is why we included it in our guide to anniversary gifts.
When you want to imbue your lady with the mythos of a goddess, choose between bold power and intricate delicacy to represent your love. The Lion Crest Ring is a powerful, vintage inspired design that focuses on the profile of a dancing lion. The New Rochelle is an authentic Victorian ring with another symbol of ancient love—a personal inscription engraved along the inside shank.
Year 5: Gold
By the fifth year of marriage, there are undoubtedly many precious memories between you and your partner. The gift of gold is next on our guide to anniversary gifts, and is a fitting way to commemorate these memories and anticipate many more.
For centuries, gold was regarded as an indication of wealth. From ancient pharaohs to Chinese emperors, nobility and royalty strive to acquire jewelry and art infused with gold. Showcase the wealth of your marriage when you present your loved one with gold jewelry.
In this guide to anniversary gifts, we’ve chosen a particularly beautiful symbol of love, the Coordinates Pendant contains an additional memento of your love. It includes personalized, engraved coordinates of your choice, so you can embellish this necklace with a location that’s special to your relationship. Have the coordinates of your honeymoon destination or the place where you first met engraved into the piece before gifting it on your anniversary day.
Another beautifully symbolic piece is the Devotion Rose Gold Ring. The piece was inspired by all things romantic and was organically designed to showcase asymmetry and fine details. It’s a unique piece that can be personalized with your choice of yellow or white gold.
Year 10: Garnet
Treasured through the ages for its versatility, garnet another great example on our guide to anniversary gifts. It’s a symbol of the flexibility and compromises it takes to achieve 10 years of marriage. The stone comes in a myriad of shades, including purple, orange, yellow, and green, but it’s most famous color for its deep red hue.
Whitmore, a ring from the Victorian era, is ideal for a strong, powerful woman. Its burnished color is one of the darkest garnet hues available. This piece, designed during Queen Victoria’s mourning period, recalls the devotion and sentimentality between the Queen and her late husband.
The Dauphine is another showstopping garnet ring that was inspired by the gilded refinement of 19th century France. The swirling halo design and dainty diamonds create a much more delicate piece with embellished shanks that echo the shape of a heart.
Year 15: Opal
Many consider the Victorian era to be one of the most romantic periods for jewelry. The love that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had for each other was reflected in every design. The opal was Prince Albert’s favorite stone and it was featured many times in the collections of both royal personages.
Though Lost Creek isn’t a Victorian era ring, it still encompasses the beauty and romance of the opal in an authentic, Retro era design. The center opal reflects the fire and passion many consider important in a relationship, and the halo design recalls the glamour and ardor of old Hollywood.
Harbor Island is a Victorian era ring with a fire opal as its centerpiece. The fire opal was highly prized during the 1800s for its beauty and rarity. This dazzling ring is on our guide to anniversary gifts list because it has a romantic look with its flowery design and shimmering diamonds.
Year 20: Sapphire
Sapphires were always a popular stone when declaring love—historically symbolizing truth and loyalty. They were often given as engagement rings, and while they faded from the spotlight during modern eras, they have seen a resurgence due to the stunning gemstone worn by Princess Diana and Kate Middleton.
Similar to the style of Princess Diana’s famous ring, Walworth has a sapphire center that is surrounded by small, illuminating diamonds. The creator of this romantic Victorian era design chose a soft contrast between the blue and white of the stones by accenting them with a delicate shade of rose gold for the band. The story of Princess Diana’s ring makes this inspired creation the perfect symbol of love in our guide to anniversary gifts.
Brantling doesn’t feature a soft, delicate design. Instead, it highlights the strength and solidarity it takes to maintain a happy marriage. Its sharp lines and emerald cut sapphire encompass the refined culture and tastefulness of mid-century design.
Year 25: Diamond
Diamonds form exclusively after billions of years of extreme pressure and heat. Since a diamond’s durability is rivaled only by its brilliance, it’s no surprise that a diamond is traditionally the choice for an engagement ring. Our guide to anniversary gifts includes this stone because after 25 years of marriage, giving your loved one a diamond parallels the durability and beauty of your own relationship.
Made during the 1870s, this tourmaline and diamond necklace from the Victorian era is a stunning token of love and commitment. Diamonds, pearls, and tourmaline are framed by gold heart shapes and milgraining.
Bedford is a Trumpet & Horn original that uses the three stone design to highlight the love you share with your significant other. Each stone on the trinity (or trilogy) ring symbolizes part of your relationship: its past, present, and future, as well as friendship, love, and fidelity.
Year 30: Ruby
The ruby’s passionate, scarlet color truly represents the ardor and never-ending enthusiasm you have for each other. The ruby endlessly displays the emotion inherent in your relationship through a flashing, red center—the glowing heart of an inextinguishable flame.
Cardinal Falls is the ideal example of a ruby. The authentic Edwardian era stone was cushion cut to enhance the inner fire and beauty of this ring. Surrounded by diamonds, the sparkle of the ruby is intensified by the fire in each of the old mine cut stones.
Harkins has a similar design to Cardinal Falls, but with a subtle, delicate aura. The center ruby is surrounded by brilliant cut diamonds that look like the petals of a flower. With a thin band and slender struts that differentiate the flower petals, this ring was included in our guide to anniversary gifts due to its sweet reminder of the love you share.
Year 35: Emerald
The official gemstone of 20th and 35th anniversaries around the world, and a lovely addition to our guide to anniversary gifts, is the emerald. Prized for its luminous green hue, it stands out amongst other green gemstones—like the peridot and tourmaline—for its association with spring, prosperity, and growth. The emerald accompanies the journey of each new year in your relationship.
Widely regarded as the gemstone of royalty, the emerald has always been popular, even during the 1930s and 40s. Stratton, which was created circa 1940, draws from the designs of the early Victorian era and infuses them with a modern cut and embellishment. This flower shaped ring will remind your loved one that you want to give her a bouquet every day of the year.
Penngrove is an incredibly unique ring that was designed by Cartier during the Art Deco era, circa 1923. The square step cut emerald is surrounded by an octagon of 16 baguette cut diamonds to create a halo unlike any other.
Year 50: Platinum
Platinum is among the most durable metals in the world, used for both jewelry and industrial purposes. Its rarity is rated above gold, and on average, there is 15 times more gold mined per year than platinum, making it the perfect finale to our guide to anniversary gifts. The metal doesn’t tarnish or oxidize, making it the perfect symbol of the persistent, stable, and undying nature of your relationship.
The Art Deco Platinum Bracelet uses platinum in its design to embellish and accentuate one of the most resilient materials on Earth: diamonds. The combination of the two makes this bracelet one of the most alluring piece of jewelry in our collection.
So Many Options to Choose From
Choosing just one of these glorious pieces to represent the love, beauty, and persistence of your relationship can be difficult. Trumpet & Horn can help you find the perfect item to remind you of the special relationship you share. Find the perfect ring, necklace, or bracelet at T&H today.
