The Ultimate Guide to Anniversary Jewelry

Whether you’ve been together for one, 10, or 20 years, every milestone is worth celebrating. A beautiful, new piece of jewelry can be the perfect way to express your love and affection for your partner and remind them how much they mean to you. 

However, the hard part is deciding which type of jewelry to give them and how to avoid giving the same gift every year. While no rule states you can’t buy a stunning diamond ring every year, other jewelry options, such as bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, mean that your partner can wear multiple treasured pieces together. You can choose the ideal wedding anniversary jewelry with our extensive gift ideas. 

Anniversary Jewelry Gift Ideas

Celebrating anniversaries with jewelry is not a new concept. In medieval times, husbands adorned their wives with silver wreaths and gold wreaths on special milestone years, such as the 25th or 50th anniversary. While your partner may not want a tiara or crown as a gift, considering your anniversary year can provide ideas for selecting meaningful jewelry. 

Anniversary Gift Guide by Year

Milestone years are worth a big celebration, and it’s the perfect time to select the fine jewelry items that hold extra significance. You can gift the corresponding anniversary metal or anniversary gemstone for your first, fifth, and 10th years of marriage. Traditionally, the first anniversary is celebrated with gold jewelry, the fifth anniversary is celebrated with sapphire, and the 10th anniversary is celebrated with a diamond. 

Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Every Other Year

It’s still worth celebrating years that are not milestones, and these years are a great opportunity to select pieces such as a necklace or earrings that your partner can wear every day. You could even consider selecting complementary pieces to give at the next anniversary, like a pair of earrings that bear a similar design to the milestone necklace provided the year before.

Personal, Meaningful Anniversary Jewelry Gift Ideas

If you need ideas for an anniversary gift, the best person to get jewelry ideas from is your partner. You can still keep your gift a surprise while conducting some careful investigation. Consider what type of jewelry they wear regularly. Is there anything they want to replace or upgrade? Is there a piece of jewelry they’ve mentioned always wanting? Also, take note of their favorite metal and gemstone colors and consider whether they’re the type of person who only wears gold jewelry or if they’re open to mixing and matching. 

You can first think of jewelry ideas in general terms, such as a bracelet, necklace, or earrings, and then choose one to suit your partner’s tastes, personality, and lifestyle. 

One of the best ways to create a deeply personal and meaningful anniversary gift is to go the custom route. Creating a custom ring or pendant to mark an anniversary is a great way to infuse your loved one’s personal style and interests into a design. Lost wax casting is perfect for these custom applications and can create designs with special meaning, like a favorite flower or a family crest. 

Anniversary Jewelry for Her

You can choose various modern jewelry gift ideas for your anniversary celebration. Here are our favorite gifts for the woman in your life.

The first-year anniversary is typically celebrated with gold jewelry, and it’s a wonderful way to memorialize the honeymoon phase of your marriage with a beautiful piece of rose gold or yellow gold jewelry. You can set yourself up for future gifts by adding a diamond band to an existing wedding set or by creating custom earrings. A paperclip necklace is a modern, timeless take on the traditional first-year paper gift, or a beautiful pair of gold hoop earrings is ideal for a woman who likes to keep her jewelry collection classic and modest.

Diamonds typically represent a decade, and a three-stone diamond necklace can symbolize your past, present, and future together. Another option is to gift a pair of sparkling, brilliant-cut earrings to mark your milestone year. 

Engagement Ring Upgrades for Anniversaries

If you plan to renew your vows in celebration of your anniversary, consider upgrading the wedding ring or adding a band to the ring stack. It’s equally as fun to surprise your partner with an upgraded wedding ring as it is to collaborate on the project together. 

An upgraded engagement ring can have a new, distinct design, or it can pay homage to the original ring — it’s up to you. Many choose to upgrade the ring with the addition of diamonds or to purchase a newer, larger diamond. You could even transform what might have originally been a solitaire into a stunning, three-stone ring.

If you’re not ready to redo the design of your original engagement ring — we get it, they’re sentimental! — consider adding another band to the wedding ring stack. A diamond band or one with colorful gemstones can complement the existing wedding ring while also making it feel new, refreshed, and extra special. 

Anniversary Jewelry for Him

While anniversary jewelry is often associated with a gift for her, there are just as many options for choosing a special jewelry piece for him. Think of pieces that represent the strength of your union, pieces they can wear for a lifetime. 

If you’re celebrating multiple years of marriage together, you could also consider reworking his wedding band to create a new design that’s more meaningful — perhaps with a special inscription or detailed design on the band.

If you’re following the traditional metal and gemstone anniversary gift ideas, you can get creative with your 10-year diamond milestone. If he already has a beautiful watch that he loves, upgrade it with a diamond bezel to give it a new, extra special look. Or, for a subtler nod, add diamonds to the dial of the watch as the hour markers.

If your partner enjoys understated jewelry, consider cuff links or a cool leather piece. Cuff links can be designed with a specific motif or element in mind that caters to your significant other’s personality. At JPratt Designs, we’ve created cuff links with the Ferrari logo, elk teeth, and clients’ business logos. Leather pieces are a great option for men who prefer more understated, rugged jewelry. A diamond pendant is also an easy way to elevate jewelry, and any beloved partner is sure to love keeping your gift close to their heart.

Celebrate Your Anniversary With Custom Jewelry From JPratt Designs

When you opt for a custom design, you can create the perfect anniversary jewelry to suit your milestone year, your partner’s personality, and more. We provide exceptional customer service and use premium metal and quality gemstones to make our custom jewelry. You can collaborate with our talented design team and craftsmen for a stunning anniversary jewelry gift to suit your vision and budget. Contact us with questions or book a comprehensive consultation with our experienced professionals.