A Guide to Anniversary Gemstones and Jewelry

Many people lament the way marriages rarely last these days. If yours has stood the test of time, you deserve to honor it with a heartfelt gift. Fortunately, tradition helps point you in the right direction.

Why not honor your commitment with jewelry? There’s a gemstone or precious metal to symbolize every anniversary. Here’s a handy guide to use while celebrating these milestones.

While you may think this year represents the honeymoon phase, the initial year proves rocky for many couples. During this time, you are still adjusting to each other’s needs and wants, and you may discover compatibility issues that went undetected when you maintained separate households.

More cynically, many prenuptial agreements kick in at the one-year mark, making many race the clock to preserve their assets. If you survive this tumultuous time with your union intact, a pair of matching gold bands — perhaps in the Celtic style — can symbolize your strength as a couple.

By your third anniversary, you soared over any relationship hiccups and may find yourselves discussing starting a family or buying a home. While the fruit of the oyster doesn’t come inexpensively, cultured pearls offer an affordable alternative.

If you skipped the diamond to fund a honeymoon in Tahiti, why not gift your sweetie one now that features one and this gem from the sea? Tradition dictates that the engagement ring goes above the wedding band, so you won’t have to remove it.

Your fifth anniversary deserves an extraordinary gemstone. Sapphires symbolize faithfulness and sincerity, two qualities that your union needs to make it this far.

You can recreate a necklace like the Star of the Ocean from “Titanic” if you have a sufficient bankroll. Another idea is to give your sweetie a pair of stud earrings featuring this gem. You can be even more unique with a watch that has sapphires in the band.

If you decided to skip the engagement ring initially to save money, hopefully, your finances have stabilized by this anniversary. Honor a decade of love by getting your sweetie the ring they deserved, but your younger self couldn’t afford.

If you went all out when you popped the question, why not go with a matching pair of diamond stud earrings? A drop necklace featuring a single gem also creates an elegant touch.

You should be enjoying green pastures by this anniversary — honor the life you have built together with an emerald. These gemstones look beautiful surrounding diamonds or by themselves. If your sweetie has sparkling olive eyes, this rock will highlight their shade.

Emeralds can get pricey, but you can find tons of jewelry featuring smaller stones. A tennis bracelet alternating between these and peridots makes a stunning accessory on St. Patrick’s Day — or anytime.

The ancients believed that anyone who wore a ruby on their left side would be safe from harm and have good fortune. Some people believe this gemstone emits light from within, but such notions likely stem from this jewel’s luster.

A ruby bracelet is an ideal way to honor four decades together if you walk the traditional path. You could also modernize your look with an ear cuff containing this gem — worn on the left, of course.

Relatively few couples reach this milestone, so if your marriage stands the test of time, go all out by giving each other gold. It doesn’t matter if you prefer platinum or pink gold — any hue will do. Your original rings probably have taken quite the beating. Why not upgrade them by replacing the ones you wear and having the old ones shined and made into a shadowbox?

There’s a gem for nearly every year if you adhere to tradition when it comes to anniversaries. Draw some inspiration from this list to give your life partner the perfect jewelry to mark the occasion.