It’s hard to believe, but 25 years have passed since you and your spouse said your Vows.
Congratulations!
A 25th wedding anniversary is a major milestone, and it deserves to be celebrated in style.
One of the best ways to do that is to memorialize the occasion with a piece of beautiful jewelry.
Keep in mind that the traditional wedding anniversary gifts were started sometime in the early 1800’s. If you do some research, you will see some rather odd items for many, if not most, of the years.
The items that were chosen were based on the economic status of the average person during that time and no longer reflect what the average economic status is today.
A disclaimer: We are living in a rather enriched society at the moment, compared to much of the world back in the 1800’s.
It is said that a 25th Anniversary gift is supposed to be “silver”.
While this may be tradition, and further, the gift for a 50th Anniversary is “gold”, we feel it more befitting to forego the traditional gifts which do not take into consideration what the recipient may prefer to receive.
By the time a couple reaches their 50th Anniversary, one may be pushing up daisies or the other cannot even imagine wanting to wear any jewelry at all.
In this article, we will discuss some of the bester options for 25th wedding anniversary jewelry.
Whether you are looking for something subtle or flashy, we have you covered!
Table of Contents
What Is The Traditional Gift For 25th Wedding Anniversary?
The traditional gift for a 25th Wedding Anniversary is Silver.
We will have to suppose that the people responsible for dictating tradition were talking about the specific silver metal in some form.
We are going to add to that some platinum and white gold because all three metals look to be the same color.
This will greatly increase your choices of gifts to buy for your beloved.
There is nothing mentioned about what the “silver” has to be.
It can be a rare monogrammed antique chalice or a silver plated cigarette lighter. It can be a silver plated pen or a 100 ounce solid silver bar.
There is nothing to prevent your imagination from going wild, because what we are looking at here is to buy something unique and valuable.
Twenty five years is nothing to shake a stick at nowadays.
So in addition to the metal Silver, we are going to throw in some ideas for jewelry made of white gold and platinum also.
Best 25th Anniversary Jewelry Ideas For Him
A husband would likely prefer something practical.
Men generally wear nothing but a wedding ring and maybe a watch.
But men may have some other ideas besides jewelry.
Sorry, it’s true.
If you really want to make a married man happy for his 25th Anniversary gift, consider the following items:
A New Watch
This can be tricky, because it all depends on what he does for a living and whether he enjoys wearing watches at all too.
If you see that he is somewhat of a watch hound, looking at the watches as he walks into Costco, then you could try to find subtle ways of coaxing him to see what he likes.
You must start this far in advance of the Anniversary date…say a year before so that he forgets the conversation entirely.
You may go online and browse for watches for yourself and ask his opinion and then drift to men’s watches too. If you go for a 14k or 18k gold watch, do not have it engraved.
It will automatically lose value.
Silver Pocket Knife
Most men love gadgets.
Most of them grew up lusting after their dad’s or uncles hunting knives or pocket knives. It does not have to be sterling silver, but it has to be very useful and have every whistle and bell known in the knife world including a port for charging an iPhone.
Just kidding.
You can engrave a pocket or hunting knife without it losing value, unless you happen to find a fantastic antique one.
Silver Bullion
We saved the best gift for last.
If finances allow, go online or to a jewelry or coin store and get your husband an entire tube of uncirculated Silver Eagles.
The more the merrier, but you will pay a premium for them as opposed to junk silver coins because the Eagles are pure silver.
Put the purchase on his credit card because he will not notice as quickly as if it were on yours.
Each tube will hold 20 coins.
Do not take them out to marvel at them or play with them, because their value depends on having no smudges or fine scratches…that is why they are sold in tubes.
Yes, this gift may be boring for a woman…until she needs money, but there is no man that would turn this gift down or feel sorry for himself after receiving it.
Best 25th Anniversary Jewelry Ideas For Her
What do women want?
A 25th Anniversary for a woman is seen much differently for her than it might be for a man.
It is THE mark that the marriage is going to “make it”, whereas for a man, it is merely a mark of time already invested.
The husband supposes that it is special, but figures that a 50th is more so, and so is inclined to hold back on the gift-giving a bit.
Don’t make that mistake.
By the time the 50th rolls around, there will be nothing to give that will interest her unless it is a life insurance policy.
So if you really want to know what to get your wife, you may want to realize that the 25th is even more important that the 26th and every year thereafter.
She cannot fathom a 50th simply because too many couples do not make it that long for one reason or another.
Be prepared to shell out a month’s worth of income for her gift.
Never think that just taking her to dinner is going to impress, regardless of what she says.
She is hoping for something B.I.G. for this particular Anniversary as opposed to other ones because you can now afford it!
Keep in mind that some women are allergic to white gold, unless it is higher karat such as 18k. If you already know this, go for platinum instead.
Yes, it is more expensive, but it will last several lifetimes, even if she does her yard work in it.
Anniversary Diamond Ring
A woman has a wedding ring already on her left hand.
What you want to do is to balance this and put a diamond ring on her right hand too.
You may even may want to “upgrade” her wedding ring if it is something that you bought when you had no money and now you do. Look at the styles of jewelry that she is prone to wear most often.
Style matters.
Most women would be thrilled to get a 5 stone (diamond) Anniversary ring, or even a nice diamond pendant.
Go for the white gold or platinum.
Find out if she likes the antique filigree style better than modern.
Make sure that you can exchange it for something of her own choosing if you found that you got it wrong.
Don’t wait for a week before hand to buy. Give it at least a few months to choose because it is as important a gift as the engagement ring was.
Precious Gemstone Jewelry
All women have a favorite gemstone that they love.
Be it sapphire, emerald or ruby or even something else. You should already know what it is by the 25th Anniversary.
If you don’t know, you can ask her best friend but then that friend may tell her your secret plan for sure. Paying attention to what she likes speaks of love in her estimation, just the same as her paying attention to what you like does.
She would not go out and buy you a .22 rifle if what you loved was a VO Falcon.
Right?
Buy her a pendant with the center colored gemstone surrounded by diamonds.
Or buy her a pair of earrings with the favored gemstone surrounded by diamonds.
If she doesn’t like diamonds, just make sure that the gemstone is large enough such as at least 2 carats, and make sure it has not been heat treated or fracture filled.
Get a Certified Gemologist Appraisal with it rather than just a receipt.
Bracelet
Women love bracelets but somehow cannot imagine spending money for one since they are usually more expensive than rings, earrings, or necklaces.
By nature of gold or platinum weight alone, then adding diamonds or precious gemstones, a bracelet is more expensive.
You can choose a bangle type bracelet that can be engraved, or a tennis type that is a line of gems.
Whatever you choose to do, get a Certified Gemologist Appraisal.
Omega Choker
By the time a woman has been married for 25 years, she is likely into her forties. By then she will want a nice gold choker that is two toned.
Yellow gold on one side, and white gold on the other.
You can choose from many different widths, but the most popular is 6 or 8 millimeters wide.
This piece of jewelry can be dressed up by adding a slide pendant, or worn alone for an elegant look.
It can be worn with jeans or with the black formal dress. You cannot go wrong with an Omega Choker necklace.
Get the standard 18” length, because you can always have it cut down shorter if desired.
Final Thoughts
If you want to impress your love and admiration for your spouse for the big 25th Anniversary, start early. After all, you have had 25 years to get to know who they are and what would tickle their fancy.
Give them a reason to believe that the next 25 years are going to be just as special and rewarding.
Anniversary gifts are not always easy to choose but with a little thought, you can come up with the best jewelry for a 25th wedding anniversary. Just use these tips and remember what your spouse likes and you will be sure to find something they will love.