Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Him & Her: Rhona’s Guide to Choosing The Best Gifts
Wedding anniversaries are one of those occasions where I think the gift should get better with time.
You know each other better. You know what they actually wear, what they would never buy for themselves, and which pieces are likely to become part of their everyday life. That makes an anniversary a very good time to choose fine jewellery.
And while there are traditional anniversary gifts for certain years, I certainly wouldn’t let a list dictate what you buy. The best anniversary gift is something that feels right for the person receiving it.
After all, there is very little point buying someone a traditional anniversary gift if it is going to spend the next twenty years sitting in a box.
What Jewellery Makes A Good Wedding Anniversary Gift?
For me, the best anniversary jewellery does one of three things.
It marks the year you are celebrating, adds something missing from their jewellery collection, or upgrades something they already wear and love.
A diamond bracelet she can wear every day. A substantial gold chain for him. An eternity ring to sit alongside her wedding and engagement rings. A signet ring, personalised bracelet or pair of diamond studs.
There are no strict rules.
Jewellery is personal. Your job is to notice the pieces they naturally gravitate towards. Our job is to help you turn that into the right gift.
Anniversary Gifts For Her
A Diamond Eternity Ring
An anniversary is a lovely reason to add another ring to a wedding stack, and it certainly does not have to be a traditional eternity ring.
Four Stone Oval Cut Diamond Ring
Some women want something that sits neatly with their engagement and wedding rings. Others want a completely separate right-hand ring that feels more like a piece of jewellery in its own right.
This is also where some of our newest designs work particularly well.
Our Pear Shaped Ring and Four Stone Oval Cut Diamond Ring are among the newer styles currently featured in our New Arrivals collection.
I particularly like mixing diamond shapes or textures when someone already has a very classic engagement ring. It gives the overall look a little more personality without competing with the original rings.
For a significant anniversary, we can also create something completely bespoke around the rings she already wears.
A Diamond Tennis Bracelet
A tennis bracelet is one of those pieces I recommend again and again because it works with almost everything.
Sparkle Setting Tennis Bracelet
It can be worn with a watch, layered with other bracelets or worn completely on its own. More importantly, it is not jewellery that has to be saved for an occasion.
That matters to me. If you are investing in beautiful jewellery, I want to see it being worn.
Our collection includes classic diamond tennis styles as well as more contemporary settings, and we can help you decide on the diamond size and overall look depending on her existing jewellery.
And you are not limited to the traditional tennis bracelet design. We recently created a beautiful custom tennis bracelet for a client using a more unusual setting, which is a perfect example of how we can take a classic piece and make it feel completely individual. [See the bespoke tennis bracelet we created here.]
It is also an excellent choice for one of the bigger milestone anniversaries.
Diamond Earrings
If you are unsure what she would choose for herself, diamond earrings are one of the safest places to start.
A great pair of studs works at every age and with almost every wardrobe. They are also very easy to upgrade over time.
Our classic Round Diamond Stud Earrings remain one of our bestselling styles, while our Diamond Drop Earrings are a newer option for someone who already owns the classics and wants something a little different.
We recently created a beautiful custom pair of yellow diamond drop earrings for a client. See the bespoke earrings we created here.
I always look at somebody’s lifestyle when recommending earrings. If she rarely takes her jewellery off, I would lean towards an easy everyday style. If she loves getting dressed up, we can have a little more fun.
A Necklace With Meaning
An anniversary necklace can be as subtle or as significant as you want it to be.
Our Constellation Love Letter Necklace, currently included in New Arrivals, is particularly nice for an anniversary because personalisation can make the piece meaningful without making it overly sentimental.
Initials, dates, birthstones and other small details can all turn a beautiful piece of jewellery into something that belongs specifically to the two of you.
For someone who loves coloured stones, our Bezel Set Emerald Diamond Necklace is another lovely option. It feels more distinctive than a classic diamond pendant while still being very easy to wear.
Anniversary Gifts For Him
Men are often described as “difficult to buy for”, but I actually think fine jewellery becomes easier once you stop trying to find something unusual for the sake of it.
Look at what he already wears.
Does he wear a watch every day? Does he prefer yellow gold or white metals? Does he wear a chain? Would he wear a ring other than his wedding ring? Is his style very classic, or would he appreciate something with more character?
Those answers usually tell us where to start.
A New Ring
One of my favourite ideas for a wedding anniversary is a second ring.
It could be worn on the opposite hand, stacked with a wedding band or even chosen as an anniversary upgrade to the original wedding ring.
Mixed metals are particularly useful if he alternates between different watches or accessories, while a hammered or enamel finish gives a ring interest without it feeling overly ornate.
A Signet Ring
A signet ring makes a brilliant anniversary gift because there is so much scope to make it personal.
Our men’s collection includes both Black Diamond Signet Rings and White Diamond Signet Rings, so you can go understated or add a little more diamond depending on his style.
You can also speak to us about engraving or creating something bespoke.
This is the sort of gift that can become part of somebody’s everyday uniform, which is exactly what I like anniversary jewellery to do.
A Bracelet He Will Actually Wear
If he already wears a watch, a bracelet is a very natural addition.
The Forever Bracelet is one of our bestselling men’s pieces and works particularly well as an anniversary gift because it can be personalised. This is one I can personally vouch for. My husband Ken wears his all the time and genuinely never takes it off. It’s incredibly durable, which is exactly what you want from a piece of jewellery that is designed to become part of everyday life.
If his style is stronger, a black diamond tennis bracelet is another option. Our men’s collection currently includes versions in both yellow and white gold.
The important thing is choosing something that looks like him, rather than choosing jewellery simply because you think an anniversary requires it.
A Solid Gold Chain
A well-made solid gold chain is a classic piece that can be worn for decades, which makes it particularly suited to marking an anniversary.
Our men’s collection includes substantial solid-gold styles such as the Figaro Chain and Curb Chain, alongside diamond pieces for somebody who wants something a little more distinctive.
For a significant anniversary, I particularly like a gold chain because it has substance, longevity and, most importantly, it is something he can genuinely wear every day.
What Are The Traditional Milestone Wedding Anniversaries?
There are certain anniversaries that have become strongly associated with particular materials or gemstones. The best known include the 25th as silver, 40th as ruby, 50th as gold and 60th as diamond.
I think these traditions are useful inspiration, rather than rules.
25th Anniversary: Silver
Twenty-five years is traditionally the silver anniversary.
That does not mean you have to buy silver jewellery. If she normally wears white gold or platinum, I would choose the metal she actually likes and let the “silver” reference inspire the colour rather than dictate the material.
For him, one of our newer platinum wedding bands would work beautifully.
40th Anniversary: Ruby
A ruby is a wonderful way to mark forty years, whether incorporated into a ring, pendant or bespoke piece.
If you cannot find exactly what you have in mind, this is where bespoke jewellery comes into its own. We can source the stone and design the piece around the person who will actually be wearing it. See a selection of bespoke ruby pieces we have created for our clients here.
50th Anniversary: Gold
Fifty years deserves something special.
A beautiful 18ct gold bracelet, necklace or ring is the obvious choice, but I also love the idea of taking jewellery collected over the marriage and creating something new from it.
If there are pieces sitting unworn in a jewellery box, an anniversary can be the perfect time to remodel them.
You keep the history. We change the design.
60th Anniversary: Diamond
The 60th is traditionally known as the diamond anniversary.
And yes, after sixty years, I think diamonds are entirely appropriate.
A diamond eternity ring is the classic choice, but a tennis bracelet, pair of earrings, pendant or bespoke piece can be equally meaningful.
For him, diamond jewellery does not need to be elaborate. A diamond-set signet ring, black diamond bracelet or a very subtle diamond detail in a ring can work beautifully.
Do You Need To Wait For A “Big” Anniversary?
Absolutely not.
I have never understood why we should reserve the really good jewellery for birthdays ending in zero or wedding anniversaries divisible by ten.
Three years, seven years, seventeen years. They all count.
Sometimes an anniversary coincides with another chapter in your life. A new baby, a new home, a career milestone, children leaving home, a big trip or simply a year you would quite like to remember.
Those are often the pieces that end up meaning the most.
Consider Redesigning Something You Already Own
An anniversary gift does not necessarily have to be new jewellery.
Sometimes the best starting point is already sitting in your jewellery box.
An inherited diamond that has never suited your style. An old engagement ring. A chain that belonged to a parent. Jewellery from earlier in your marriage that you no longer wear.
We can remodel existing jewellery into something completely new while keeping the stones and sentiment that matter.
For a significant wedding anniversary, I think that can be incredibly special.
If You Are Buying Jewellery As A Surprise
You do not need to know everything.
Bring us photographs. Show us what she wears every day. Tell us what colour metal he wears. Send us screenshots of pieces they have mentioned. Have a look in the jewellery box if you are allowed!
We can usually narrow the choices very quickly.
And if you would rather choose together, there is nothing wrong with that either.
For larger pieces in particular, I often think the experience of coming in, trying things on and choosing something together can become part of the anniversary itself.
My Advice? Buy For The Person, Not The Anniversary Chart
Traditions are lovely, but jewellery has to work in real life.
I would always choose the diamond bracelet she will wear three times a week over the “correct” gemstone she does not particularly like. I would choose the gold chain he has quietly wanted for years over something bought purely because a list tells you to.
A wedding anniversary is really about recognising the time you have spent together.
Choose something that feels considered, beautifully made and personal enough that, years from now, they will still remember exactly why they received it.
If you are not sure where to begin, come in and talk to us. Tell us who you are buying for, what they wear and the anniversary you are celebrating. We can help you narrow it down to two or three options, source something especially for you, or design a completely bespoke piece.
Rhona Fitzpatrick
Private Jeweller
The Diamond Expert
Written by Rhona Fitzpatrick, Private Jeweller and CEO of The Diamond Expert
