Anniversary Ring Guide: The Best Rings to Buy Her Each Year

Each anniversary celebrates another year of a beautiful marriage, and each anniversary ring holds the promise of many more to come. Anniversary rings symbolize a couple’s past and future growth and celebrate the highs and lows that lead to an even deeper love and a stronger bond over the years spent together. Traditionally, anniversary milestones are associated with different types of anniversary jewelry. Rings are a favorite because they’re a beautiful accent to a wedding band or engagement ring. It may seem overwhelming at first to find the perfect ring that represents your relationship, so we’ll break down anniversary rings by year and give you unique options to help make the process easy and enjoyable. 

What is an anniversary ring?

An anniversary ring is traditionally given at the first wedding anniversary and each five-year milestone in a marriage. Giving a ring at every milestone is not expected or often feasible, but you have many opportunities to give a ring throughout your marriage. An anniversary ring is different from a wedding band or an engagement ring. It can have gemstones and even diamonds but should either complement your wedding ring set or be worn as an occasional statement piece. You have the choice to stick with tradition, give something unique, or do a bit of both.  

Types of anniversary rings

There are no rules to what is or isn’t an anniversary ring. That’s up to you to decide, and you can’t go wrong. There are a few types of rings that are most popular among anniversary ring shoppers. 

• Traditional anniversary rings use the stone or material historically chosen to match a particular milestone. Precious gemstones, gold, or silver are given at each five-year mark. Semi-precious gems can be given at any anniversary in between. 
• Unique anniversary rings are chosen based on a stone’s special meaning to a relationship or your wife’s favorite ring stones and style. 
• 3-stone anniversary rings represent the past, present, and future of a relationship or allow you to customize a combination of gemstones that give your ring a unique meaning, such as incorporating a spouse's, children’s or grandchildren’s birthstones. 
• Anniversary bands can complement and enhance your wife’s original wedding band or replace it. They can add color or sparkle to wedding bands. Choosing an anniversary band is also a great opportunity to upgrade wedding bands to something more ornate. 

Anniversary ring etiquette

How you give an anniversary ring should be unique and special to your relationship, and only you know how to do that best. When you’re shopping, keep your wife’s preferences and personality in mind so you’ll be sure to give her a ring she’ll love to wear. If picking a ring for her makes you nervous, involve her in the process. Letting your wife help you removes the element of surprise, but it may be better to choose something she loves rather than to surprise her with something she doesn’t. Anniversary rings are not usually solitaire diamonds to distinguish them from engagement rings, but there’s no reason why they couldn’t be. What makes an anniversary ring the best is based more on meaning than appearance. Finding a meaningful ring is a personal decision, and that makes the gift extra special. 

What finger do you wear an anniversary ring on? 

Anniversary rings are commonly worn on the right ring finger or stacked with a wedding band and engagement ring on the left ring finger. Anniversary bands can also be worn on the left pointer or middle finger to accent the engagement ring. 

On what anniversary do you upgrade your wedding ring?

Some couples prefer to purchase simple wedding rings and save for wedding rings they love when their budget allows. You can upgrade your wedding rings on any anniversary, but the 10th anniversary is common because it’s a significant milestone, and by that point, a relationship is well-established and finances are often secure. 

Anniversary rings by year

If your wife loves rubies, you don’t have to wait until your 15th anniversary to give her the gem she loves. But choosing a traditional anniversary ring is a fun way to commemorate each marriage milestone. A precious stone or metal may be given at two anniversary years, once toward the beginning of a marriage and again in later years. Find the best anniversary ring to match your year of marriage below. 

1 year anniversary ring: Gold

The first year of marriage comes with its own unique joys and challenges. Gold symbolizes success and magic, and the first anniversary ring is a chance to show that the year was worth its weight in gold. 

5 year anniversary ring: Sapphire

After 5 years, your marriage experience has made you a wiser couple, and you’ve proven your loyalty to one another. Sapphires symbolize wisdom and faithfulness and are a great way to restate your commitment to your spouse. 

10 year anniversary ring: Diamond

After 10 years, you’ve built a strong relationship and have more perspective on how to maintain a healthy marriage, which makes a diamond’s clarity and durability perfect characteristics for your anniversary ring. This may be a good time to upgrade your engagement ring. 

15 year anniversary ring: Ruby

At this point, you’ve both been through many emotional highs and lows that have made you a stronger, more stable couple. A ruby symbolizes passionate love and can be a reminder of your deep emotional connection. 

20 year anniversary ring: Emerald

An emerald is a token of how much you’ve progressed as a couple over two decades and a reminder to continue growing. Emeralds symbolize growth and rebirth, so your 20-year anniversary might be a great time to renew your vows with an emerald ring. 

25 year anniversary ring: Silver 

Silver is a reminder of focus, clarity, and fun. 25-years into a marriage, you’ve devoted a lot of attention to your spouse and created great memories along the way. 

30 year anniversary ring: Pearl Jubilee

You and your spouse know each other’s next moves and can read each other’s minds after 30 years together. A pearl ring signifies hidden knowledge and long life and could signify the many more years of learning with each other that lie ahead. 

35 year anniversary ring: Emerald

All emeralds have inclusions and represent growth. An emerald ring is a reminder that a relationship is never perfect, but growing together is part of what makes it beautiful.

40 year anniversary ring: Ruby

After 40 years, your and your spouse’s love for each other is much deeper than it was on your 15th anniversary. A ruby ring is a reminder of your many years of romance. 

45 year anniversary ring: Sapphire

After 45 years, you and your spouse are marriage gurus, and no one would doubt your loyalty to each other. Your commitment to one another is even more worthy of a sapphire than on your 5th anniversary. And you aren’t limited to blue–sapphires come in many colors to choose from. 

50 year anniversary ring: Golden Jubilee

At 50 years of marriage, no one would deny that your marriage is gold. Your enduring love is rare and is priceless. Remind your wife of how precious she is to you with a gold ring.

Every year in-between: Semi-precious stones

You can give your wife a ring at any anniversary. Semi-precious rings are popular choices for anniversaries in between milestone years. You can choose a gemstone based on its color and meaning or find one in your wife’s birthstone. 

You aren’t limited to rings on your anniversary, you can shop for precious stones or metals in any style of earrings, necklaces, or bracelets. Choosing different types of anniversary jewelry can add an element of surprise and a unique touch to each traditional anniversary gift. 

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