A Complete Guide to Wedding Anniversary Gemstones: 11-15 Years

Marriage is a long-lasting commitment and celebrating each anniversary is a significant milestone, so what better way to do it than with a representative gemstone?

Gifting a piece of jewelry as a wedding anniversary gift is a time-honored tradition. The list of gems used to mark the anniversaries have been endorsed by the Jewelers of America, The American Gem Society, The American Gem Trade Association, and the Gemological Institute of America.

If you are looking for the perfect gift for your spouse on your wedding anniversary, take a look at our complete guide of significant gemstones. In our last blog post, we discussed anniversary gemstones from years one through ten, in this post, we continue the list throughout the years of further marriage.

 

11th Year: Turquoise

Your 11th wedding anniversary marks the start of your second decade of marriage. One way that you can make it special is with some turquoise jewelry. Turquoise was one of the first gems to be mined, with some historic sites dating back to 4,000 BCE. Today, notable sources of Turquoise are the Nishapur district of Iran, China’s Hubei Province, and the United State’s Arizona. Turquoise is also a December birthstone, an extra special gift for a December baby.

 

12th Year: Jade

Jade is actually the same name given to two different gem materials: jadeite and nephrite. Highly valued jadeite is intensely green and translucent, while nephrite can frequently be found in gray hues as well as green. The Mayans and the Aztec’s prized jadeite and Chinese cultures valued nephrite for centuries, your spouse is sure to love jade’s beauty and history.

 

13th Year: Citrine

Citrine belongs to the quartz family. Pharaohs used it in jewelry since the period of 3100 to 2686 B.C during the age of Ancient Egypt. Citrine is an alternative to topaz and yellow sapphire, with good quality citrine being saturated yellow to reddish orange, with no brownish tints.

 

14th Year: Opal

Opal is an enchanting color changing stone depending on which way you look at it because of how its internal structure diffracts light. Opal is also October’s birthstone. There are many legends associated with Opals, some believed that they symbolized love and hope, others that they are magic stones sent from heaven, and that they govern the stars, just to name a few. An Opal you can say is a magical stone to gift to your spouse this anniversary.

 

15th Year: Ruby

Your 15th wedding anniversary is more significant which is why it is represented by the ruby, known as the “king of precious stones” when translated in Sanskrit. The most prized rubies have a pure, vibrant red to slightly purplish red color, and are found all over the world. Red represents love and passion, so it is the perfect gift to give for your 15th wedding anniversary.

If you are searching for the perfect gemstone for your spouse, visit Precious Metals Refinery and talk with our professional experts to help you find the perfect gift.