A Guide to Anniversary Gemstones & Jewelry
Each anniversary has a corresponding gemstone or metal. If you’re shopping for that special gift, use this guide as a start point.
Mohs Scale: Rankings on the Mohs Scale show a comparison of hardness among the minerals. #1 is softest; #10 is hardest. 10- Diamond; 9-Corundum; 8-Topaz; 7-Quartz; 6- Feldspar; 5-Apatite; 4-Fluorite; 3-Calcite; 2-Gypsum; 1-Talc
Metals & Gemstones: 1st Anniversary- Gold Jewelry. Classic, simple and wearable every day as a reminder of your special first year. Mohs scale: 2.5
2nd Anniversary- Garnet. Traditionally red, they also come in many other colors. Mohs scale: 6.5-7.5|
3rd & 30th Anniversary- Pearls. Natural pearls are formed when an accidental intruder enters a mollusk’s shell. Cultured pearls grow inside a mollusk, but with human intervention. Mohs scale: 3
4th Anniversary- Blue Topaz. Shades of yellow to gold and variations of blue are possibly the most common topaz colors, but the gemstone occurs in many others. Mohs scale: 8
5th and 45rd Anniversary- Sapphire. Cornflower blue is the most popular sapphire color, but this gem exits in myriad shades of blue. Mohs scale: 9
6th Anniversary- Amethyst. Amethyst is a lilac-to-purple variety of quartz; its color formed from iron impurities within the stones. Mohs scale: 7
7th Anniversary- Onyx. Onyx lends itself to minimal as well as ornate jewelry style. This dark stone works especially well in men’s jewelry styles. Mohs scale: 7
8th Anniversary- Tourmaline. Tourmaline is a popular gemstone that’s available in nearly every color imaginable, including stones made up of multiple hues. Mohs scale: 7.5.
9th Anniversary- Lapis Lazuli. Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color. Mohs scale: 5.5
10th Anniversary- Diamond. The diamond anniversary is the perfect opportunity to upgrade the engagement ring. Mohs scale: 10
11th Anniversary- Turquoise. Turquoise has been mined in many places throughout the world and is known for its marvelous shades of robin’s-egg blue. Mohs scale: 5-6
12th Anniversary- Jade. We see so much green jade that it’s easy to forget that the gemstone occurs in other colors. Mohs scale: 6.5-7
13th Anniversary- Citrine. Citrine is a yellow variety of quartz that ranges in color from pale yellow to a deeper gold. Mohs scale: 7
14th Anniversary- Opal. Precious opal is a gemstone that exhibits flashes of rainbow-like colors when viewed from different angles. Mohs scale: 5.5-6.5
15th & 40th Anniversary- Ruby. Natural ruby come in various shades of red and rubies often have undertones, such as a purplish cast. Mohs scale: 7
16th Anniversary- Peridot. Peridot is a green gemstone as popular for jewelry today as it was in the past. Mohs scale: 6.5-7
17th Anniversary- Watches. Watches are a traditional anniversary gift that always pleases the recipient. Engraving the back is always a fine touch. Mohs scale: N/A
18th Anniversary- Cat’s Eye Tourmaline. Cat’s eye tourmaline has a typical band of “light” that moves across a polished stone, making it resemble the eye of a cat.
19th Anniversary- Aquamarine. Aquamarine is one of the most popular gemstones for any occasion. Colors come in a range of blues, and some aquamarines have shags of green thrown in. Mohs scale: 7.5-8
20th & 35th Anniversary- Emerald. A fine emerald can be more expensive than a high-quality diamond of the same carat weight. Mohs scale: 7.5-8
21st Anniversary- Iolite. Iolite (from the Greek world for violet) is a gemstone that exists in a range of colors, including violet-blue, green, brown and grayish blue. Mohs scale: 7.5-8
22nd Anniversary- Spinel. Spinel is available in a range of colors, but the most popular is bright orange-red. Mohs scale: 8
23rd Anniversary- Imperial Topaz. Imperial Topaz is a yellow, pink, or orange-pink topaz. Mohs scale: 8
24th Anniversary- Tanzanite. Tanzanite is the blue/purple variety of the mineral zoisite.
25th Anniversary- Silver. Combined with gemstones, enameled or simply by itself, sterling silver is a softly glowing metal that is a wonderful commemoration of your years together. Mohs scale: N/A
50th Anniversary- Gold. Celebrate in style with a more elaborate gold piece encrusted with diamonds or colored gems. Mohs scale: N/A
55th Anniversary- Alexandrite. Known as an “emerald by day, ruby by night,” this extremely rare, highly coveted and very costly gemstone changes color depending on the type of light surrounding it. Mohs scale: 6.5
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