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Anniversary Gemstones by Year, and Mineral Gifts That Match Them

By Digital Towns Crystals ยท Last reviewed October 8, 2026

Short answer: the widely used list runs garnet for year 2, pearl for 3, blue topaz for 4, sapphire for 5, amethyst for 6, tourmaline for 8, diamond for 10, ruby for 15, peridot for 16, aquamarine for 19 and emerald for 20. No body owns it, and the published versions disagree on years 5, 7, 9, 12 and 17. A natural crystal of the right species, such as a garnet cluster or an aquamarine on matrix, honors the year without the cost of a cut stone.

Is there an official anniversary gemstone list?

Not in the way there is an official birthstone list. The International Gem Society says it plainly: unlike birthstones, there is no official list of gemstones that should be gifted for wedding anniversaries, and the version most people follow is one that organizations like the GIA and Jewelers of America developed and the trade adopted as an accepted guide (International Gem Society). Jewelers of America publishes its own version and calls it the official jewelry anniversary list, endorsed by its members and other jewelry organizations (Jewelers of America).

That gives a buyer two published charts that agree on most years and part ways on a handful, plus GIA gem pages that add their own alternatives. Both are reproduced below, with the differences flagged rather than smoothed over. Keep in mind that the gemstone list sits beside an older list of materials (paper, tin, iron and so on). The IGS notes that according to traditions first published in the 18th century, the traditional sixth anniversary gift is candy or iron, with wood as the contemporary option, while the gemstone for the same year is amethyst (IGS sixth anniversary guide). Neither list is wrong; they answer different questions.

Which gemstone goes with each anniversary year?

The table follows the IGS chart year by year and adds the Jewelers of America entry wherever it differs.

Year IGS chart Jewelers of America, where different
1 Gold jewelry
2 Garnet
3 Pearl
4 Blue topaz
5 Sapphire
6 Amethyst
7 Yellow sapphire Onyx
8 Tourmaline
9 Morganite Lapis lazuli
10 Diamond
11 Turquoise
12 Alexandrite Jade
13 Citrine
14 Opal
15 Ruby
16 Peridot
17 Watches
18 Cat's eye
19 Aquamarine
20 Emerald
21 Iolite
22 Spinel
23 Imperial topaz
24 Tanzanite
25 Silver
30 Pearl
35 Emerald
40 Ruby
45 Sapphire
50 Gold
55 (not listed) Alexandrite
60 (not listed) Diamond

Where do the anniversary lists disagree?

Three years are contested between the two charts, and two more disagreements appear once GIA's own gem pages are added to the comparison.

  • Year 5. Both charts give sapphire, but GIA's rose quartz entry says rose quartz has been recognized as the gem that commemorates the fifth wedding anniversary (GIA on rose quartz). A pink quartz sphere is a far cheaper way to mark year five.
  • Year 7. The IGS chart gives yellow sapphire for the seventh anniversary. The Jewelers of America list gives onyx. One is a transparent corundum, the other a banded or black chalcedony, so the two choices look nothing alike.
  • Year 9. IGS lists morganite, the pink beryl. Jewelers of America lists lapis lazuli, the deep blue rock made mostly of lazurite.
  • Year 12. IGS names alexandrite, the color change chrysoberyl. Jewelers of America names jade.
  • Year 17. Both charts give watches rather than a gem. GIA, however, states that amethyst is the birthstone for February and the gem for the 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries (GIA on amethyst). So a purple stone at seventeen years has a respectable source behind it.
  • Years 55 and 60. The IGS chart stops at fifty. Jewelers of America continues with alexandrite at 55 and diamond at 60.

The practical answer when the lists differ is to pick the stone that suits the recipient and mention on the card that both are recognized. Nobody checks a seventh anniversary gift against a chart, and an onyx carving and a yellow sapphire both have a published list behind them.

Which anniversary stones can be given as natural crystals?

Diamond, pearl, gold and silver years call for jewelry. Several other years fall on minerals that also grow as handsome specimens, which turns an anniversary into a display piece that costs a fraction of a fine cut gem.

Year 2: garnet

GIA confirms that garnet is the birthstone for January and the gem for the second anniversary, and it lists the group's hardness at 6.5 to 7.5 with specific gravity from 3.47 to 4.15 depending on the species (GIA on garnet). Garnet is a family, not a single mineral: the IGS counts more than 20 species of garnet, but only a few of these are considered gem quality (IGS second anniversary guide). That variety is useful for a gift, because the "garnet" can be orange, green or black instead of the expected dark red.

Hessonite is the orange to brown form of grossular, Ca3Al2(SiO4)3. The IGS describes hessonite and tsavorite as the two most well known gem grossulars (IGS on grossular). Melanite is black andradite, and the IGS notes that these andradites contain 1 to 5% titanium oxide and can show a near adamantine surface luster (IGS on andradite). Historically, melanites were used in mourning jewelry, which is worth knowing before choosing one for a romantic milestone; the bright, mirror-faced crystals read as dramatic rather than somber on a shelf.

Year 5 and year 45: sapphire

GIA notes that sapphire is the birthstone for September and the gem of the 5th and 45th anniversaries, and that the name can apply to any corundum that is not ruby red (GIA on sapphire). Fine faceted sapphire is expensive, but small rough and polished pieces from the Sri Lankan gem gravels are inexpensive and still genuine corundum, hardness 9.

Year 6: amethyst

Amethyst is purple quartz, hardness 7, and it is the easiest anniversary stone to find in a large, impressive natural form. Uruguay is known for small, densely colored crystals lining basalt geodes.

Year 16: peridot

Peridot is gem olivine. GIA explains that its iron and magnesium chemistry ties it to basalts, and that gem miners find peridot as irregular nodules in some lava flows in the United States, China and Vietnam (GIA on peridot). Arizona material on its original basalt is a direct example: the green grains sit in the dark volcanic rock that carried them up from the mantle.

Year 19: aquamarine

GIA states that aquamarine is the birthstone for March and the gem of the 19th wedding anniversary. It is a blue beryl, Be3Al2Si6O18, with hardness 7.5 to 8 and specific gravity 2.72, and much of the best crystal material is mined at high elevations in Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains (GIA on aquamarine).

How durable is each anniversary stone for display or wear?

Stone Anniversary years Mohs hardness Display note
Garnet (grossular, andradite) 2 6.5 to 7.5 Robust; dust with a soft brush
Sapphire (corundum) 5, 45 9 Very hard; rough is safe to handle
Amethyst (quartz) 6, and 17 per GIA 7 Keep large pieces out of long direct sun
Peridot (olivine) 16 6.5 to 7 Basalt matrix can shed grains; handle by the rock
Aquamarine (beryl) 19 7.5 to 8 Thin crystals on matrix are fragile at the tips

The hardness figures matter more for jewelry than for a shelf, but they also predict how a specimen survives a move or a curious grandchild. Corundum and beryl shrug off ordinary handling. Peridot on basalt is the one to place and leave alone.

Shopping the anniversary stones we stock

The guidance below applies whether you buy here or anywhere else. Ask for the locality on the label, because a stone tied to a named place makes a better story on the card. Match size to the year: a modest piece for the early years, a statement for the milestones. And check the listing photos for damaged crystal tips, especially on aquamarine and garnet clusters, where a fresh break shows as a dull, rough spot on an otherwise bright face. Prices below were read from the live listings on October 7, 2026.

Digital Towns Market

Anniversary stones in stock

See all crystals and minerals

For the stories behind each month's stones, the birthstone guide covers the same minerals from the other direction, and the garnet, amethyst and aquamarine guides go deeper on identification.

Frequently asked questions

What is the gemstone for a 10th anniversary?

Diamond, on both the IGS chart and the Jewelers of America list. The older materials list gives tin or aluminum for the tenth year, so a couple following that tradition sometimes pairs a small tin box with a diamond. A mineral specimen cannot stand in well here, since rough diamond crystals of display quality are costly.

Which anniversary uses amethyst?

The sixth, on every list consulted. GIA also assigns amethyst to the seventeenth anniversary, where the IGS and Jewelers of America charts list watches instead. A large amethyst cluster or geode suits either year and is one of the more affordable ways to give a big natural piece.

Is a raw crystal an acceptable anniversary gift?

Yes. The lists name gem species, not a format, and a natural crystal of the right species meets the tradition. A specimen also avoids sizing questions and suits someone who does not wear much jewelry. Include a card naming the mineral, the locality and the year it marks.

Why do anniversary gemstone charts disagree?

Because no single authority controls the list. Retail and trade groups have each published versions, and they differ on years 7, 9 and 12 and on how far the list runs past fifty. When charts differ, either choice is defensible; pick the stone the recipient will like and say on the card that it appears on a published list.

What is the garnet anniversary?

The second. Garnet comes in many colors, so a second anniversary gift does not have to be dark red: orange hessonite, green tsavorite and black melanite are all garnet species. Hardness of 6.5 to 7.5 makes garnet sturdy enough for both jewelry and display.

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