Wedding Anniversaries were originally known by the number of years a couple had been married to each other. Traditionally, a wedding anniversary gift from a husband to his wife on their first wedding anniversary year was an eternity ring.

In medieval times, it became popular in central Europe to celebrate the 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversary with the husband crowning his wife with a wreath made of silver or gold. Although the practice of handing over a wreath made of silver or gold has not continued, we still use the terms 'Silver' and 'Golden' to describe the 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversaries respectively. In Biblical times, a 50th Wedding Anniversary was described as a 'jubilee' and publicly announced with a trumpet fanfare.

Whether you have been married 1 year or 60 years, each wedding anniversary should be celebrated, cherished & recognised as a wonderful milestone. Show your partner the recognition he or she deserves on your wedding anniversary day by giving a gift that will not only be incredibly special, but appreciated and loved by your partner for many more years to come;

Year 1: Pearl
Year 2: Coral
Year 3: Turquoise
Year 4: Amber
Year 5: Diamond
Year 6: Sapphire
Year 7: Aquamarine
Year 8: Amethyst
Year 9: Tourmaline
Year 10: Diamond
Year 11: Garnet
Year 12: Citrine
Year 13: Lapis
Year 14: Opal
Year 15: Diamond
Year 16: Jade
Year 17: Emerald
Year 18: Malachite
Year 19: Beryl
Year 20: Diamond
Year 25: Silver
Year 30: Diamond
Year 35: Pearl
Year 40: Ruby
Year 45: Sapphire
Year 50: Gold
Year 55: Emerald
Year 60: Diamond

If you're thinking about a birthday gift that will make a statement, why not buy a gift that will last forever? Choose a piece of jewellery or birthstone that represents the birthday month, a gift that truly has significance and will look beautiful for many birthdays to come.

Birthstones by month

January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Aquamarine
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Pearl
July: Ruby
August: Peridot
September: Sapphire
October: Tourmaline
November: Citrine
December: Blue Topaz


Birthstones by Zodiac Sign

Aries - Diamond
Taurus - Emerald
Gemini - Agate
Cancer - Pearl
Leo - Ruby
Virgo - Sardonyx
Libra - Sapphire
Scorpio - Opal
Sagittarius - Topaz
Capricorn - Amethyst
Aquarius - Aquamarine
Pisces - Moonstone

AGATE
Agate is a variety of chalcedony (a family of microcrystalline quartz). Agate is a very common stone that is often used in jewelry. It is found in a wide range of colors, including black, gray, brown, reddish, green, pink, blue, and yellow. According to Theophrastus, the agate (achates) was named from the river Achates, now the Drillo, in Sicily, where the stone was first found.

AMETHYST
Quartz. Ranges in color from violet to dark purple. Amethyst is associated with increased nobility, spiritual awareness, meditation, balance, psychic abilities, inner peace, healing and positive transformation. This stone brings an understanding of death and rebirth and relieves stress. Amethyst is a teacher of all things spiritual, mystic and psychic. This stone is very healing of body, mind and soul.

AQUAMARINE
A blue-green member of the Beryl clan. Associated with cleansing, meditation, serenity, peace, prophecy, inspiration, tranquillity, strength and the wise use of inner power. This stone is attuned to the ocean and helps us to get in touch with the nature spirits of the sea. It is traditionally used to soothe, calm and alleviate fears and phobias. Promotes safe travel on water.

CUBIC ZIRCONIA
Cubic zirconia is a mineral that is extremely rare in nature but is widely synthesized for use as a diamond simulant. The synthesized material is hard, optically flawless and usually colorless, but may be made in a variety of different colors. Because of its low cost, durability, and close visual likeness to diamond, synthetic cubic zirconia has remained the most gemologically and economically important diamond simulant since 1976. Its main competition as a synthetic gemstone is the more recently cultivated material moissanite.

CORAL
Coral is formed from the skeletons of tiny sea creatures. WHITE CORAL is linked with balance, relaxation, protection, safe travel on water, appreciation of nature, and emotional balance. PINK CORAL is associated with platonic love, friendship and community. RED CORAL promotes creativity, passion, romantic love, wisdom, optimism and enthusiasm. BLACK CORAL grants serenity and peace while absorbing negative energy.

DIAMOND
The color is clear. The CLEAR DIAMOND is said to bond relationships, and encourage innocence, love, longevity, balance, clarity, profundity, abundance, courage, purity, hope and discernment. This stone helps us get to the essence of things. BLACK DIAMONDS grant us the courage to look within without illusion. BLUE DIAMONDS inspire us to take better care of our health and strengthen will power. PINK DIAMONDS foster creative expression. YELLOW DIAMONDS make us more thoughtful and considerate.

DIOPSIDE
Diopside was first described about 1800 and derives its name from the Greek dis - "two kinds" or "double" and opsis - "opinion" or "appearance" in reference to the two ways of orienting the vertical prism. Diopside is a monoclinic pyroxene mineral. Gemstone Jewelry quality diopside is found in two forms: the black star diopside and the chrome diopside. At 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs scale, chrome diopside is relatively soft to scratch. Mohs scale of hardness does not measure tensile strength or resistance to fracture.

EMERALD
A green member of the Beryl clan. Emeralds promote love, romance, joy, cleansing, clairvoyance, clear vision, memory, faith, intuition, serenity, intelligence and communication. This is a truth-promoting stone, inspiring deep knowing from within.

GARNET
Garnet is a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. Today, it is widely known as the birthstone for January. Garnets are most often seen in red, but are available in a wide variety of colors spanning the entire spectrum as orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, and colorless.. There are six common varieties of garnet are recognized based on their chemical composition: pyrope, almandine or carbuncle, spessartite, grossularite, uvarovite and andradite.

JADE
Most often green, but can come in a variety of colors. All jade augments longevity, fertility, serenity, wisdom, practicality, tranquillity, balance, peace, harmony, moderation, perspective, equilibrium and stability. This is a stone that helps us understand our dreams and teaches us to live in harmony with the laws of nature and spirit. BLACK JADE offers protection from negativity and fosters the wise use of power. BLUE JADE inspires meditation. BUTTERFAT JADE brings relaxation. LAVENDER JADE inspires love, optimism and beauty. ORANGE JADE enhances energy and protection. WHITE JADE fosters practical application of spirituality. YELLOW JADE is linked with assimilation, digestion, understanding and empathy.

LOLITE
Lolite has different colors in different directions in the crystal. A cube cut from lolite will look a violetish blue almost like sapphire from one side, clear as water from the other, and a honey yellow from the top. This property led some people to call Lolite "water sapphire" in the past.

LAPIS LAZULI
LAPIS Lazuli also known as just Lapis is a rock and not a mineral because it is made up from various other minerals. To be a true mineral it would have one constituent only. Lapis has a hardness of 5.5; it chips and scratches easily. Lapis lazuli contains the minerals calcite (which decreases its value), pyrite (which can increase its value), and sodalite.

MARCASITE
Marcasite is a shiny, metallic semi-precious stone. Marcasite is generally faceted. Marcasite is often mistakenly confused with pyrite, but marcasite is lighter and more brittle. Specimens of marcasite often crumble and break up due to the unstable crystal structure, and it is this crystal structure that is the main difference between marcasite and pyrite.

ONYX
Onyx is a semi-precious stone that is black and white, generally arranged in layers. It is a form of agate with parallel banding. This structure lends itself to cameo making. Onyx is a species of chalcedony (microcrystalline quartz).

OPAL
Quartz. Wide rage of colors. Opals foster love, passion, loyalty, faithfulness, emotional expressiveness, warmth, spontaneity and dramatic ability. Also associated with peace, and consciousness. Sometimes considered unlucky, but this is only because modern people fear their emotional side. A very emotionally responsive stone. BLACK OPAL promotes cosmic awareness and oceanic consciousness. BOULDER OPAL foster creativity and originality. FIRE OPAL inspires dynamic energy and intensity. SONOMA OPAL induces emotional stability. WHITE OPAL enhances competency and efficiency.

PERIDOT
The name of the gemstone is believed to come from either the Arabic word faridat meaning "gem" or the French word peritot meaning "unclear." Peridot also known as the "evening emerald" is a yellow-green semi-precious stone with an oily luster; peridot is a transparent, green form of olivine. Peridot exhibits double refraction; when you look through the stone, things appear double. Most peridots are from a volcanic island in the Red Sea, Zebergit/St. John, the "Serpent Isle."

PEARLS
A pearl is a hard, rounded object produced by certain animals, primarily mollusks such as oysters. Pearl is valued as a gemstone and is cultivated or harvested for jewellery. Pearls fit into two categories: freshwater and saltwater. As their name implies, freshwater pearls are formed in freshwater mussels that live in lakes, rivers, ponds and other bodies of fresh water. Most freshwater cultured pearls sold today come from China. By contrast, saltwater pearls grow in oysters that live in the ocean, usually in protected lagoons. Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian are the three main types of saltwater pearls. The pearl is also the birthstone of the month of June.

RUBY
A red member of the Corundum clan. Fosters integrity, devotion, happiness, healing, courage, passion, romance, enthusiasm and generosity. Also evokes warmth, generosity, inspiration, prosperity, high energy, power and leadership ability.

SAPPHIRE
Sapphire a mineral known as corundum. It can be found naturally as gemstones or manufactured in large crystal boules for a variety of applications. They exist in nearly every color except red, because red corundum is always called ruby. One of the hardest minerals, sapphires are durable gemstones that have been in demand since ancient times.

SWAROVSKI
Swarovski is the luxury brand name for the range of precision-cut crystal glass products produced by companies owned by Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, near Zürich, Switzerland. Swarovski crystal contains approximately 32% lead to maximize refraction. The Swarovski Crystal range includes crystal sculptures and miniatures, jewellery and couture, home decor, chandeliers, and beads and rhinestones for manufacturers and artists.

TANZANITE
Tanzanite is the blue/purple variety of the mineral zoisite discovered in the Meralani Hills of northern Tanzania in 1967, near the city of Arusha. Tanzanite (strontium-rich Calcium-aluminum silicate) is a valuable, transparent, blue-violet type of zoisite resembling sapphire. Tanzanite is noted for its remarkably strong trichroism, appearing alternately sapphire blue, violet, and sage-green depending on crystal orientation. However, most tanzanite is subjected to artificial heat treatment to improve its colour: this significantly subdues its trichroism.

TITANIUM
Titanium was discovered at Creed, Cornwall in England by amateur geologist Reverend William Gregor in 1791. Titanium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Ti. It is a light, strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant (including resistance to sea water and chlorine) transition metal with a white-silvery-metallic color. Titanium is used in strong light-weight alloys (most notably with iron and aluminium), and in powdered form to other materials, such as graphite composites.

TOPAZ
BLUE TOPAZ inspires leadership ability, psychic knowing, spiritual growth, tranquillity and psychic insight. CLEAR TOPAZ helps us communicate with Devas (Nature Spirits) and with all the animals and plants of the earth. GOLDEN TOPAZ builds generosity, happiness, humor, optimism, creativity, wisdom, inspiration, abundance and love. It also attracts love to us and teaches us about spiritual love. GREEN TOPAZ guides us towards forgiveness and understanding. PINK TOPAZ promotes honor and truth.

TOURMALINE
It is a complex silicate of aluminium and boron. Tourmaline comes in many different colors; it also appears to have different colors depending on the angle at which it is seen. Tourmaline has the greatest color range of any gemstone - the lighter colors are more valuable than the darker colors. It ranges in color from pink to green to red (rubellite) to purple to blue-green (indicolite) to colorless (achroite) to black. Tourmaline is distinguished by its three-sided prisms; no other common mineral has three sides.

TUNGSTEN
Tungsten also called wolfram is a chemical element that has the symbol W. A very hard, heavy, steel-gray to white transition metal, tungsten is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite and is remarkable for its robust physical properties, especially the fact that it has a higher melting point than any other non-alloy in existence. Its hardness makes it ideal for rings that will never scratch, and will in turn not need polishing.

TSAVORITE
Was discover in Kenya in the 1960s. Tsavorite is a rare, deep green variety of grossular garnet, a type of garnet, calcium-aluminum silicate. This fine green gemstone is one of the most prized members of the garnet family, often rivaling fine sapphire and the like in price. The color ranges through the green hues, but the finest are equal in color to a fine quality emerald.

TURQUISE
Turquoise is opaque, blue-to-green hydrated copper aluminium phosphate mineral. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been enjoyed as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue.

QUARTZ
Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earth's continental crust. It has a hexagonal crystal structure made of trigonal crystallized silica . The typical shape is a six-sided prism that ends in six-sided pyramids, although these are often twinned, distorted, or so massive that only part of the shape is apparent from a mined specimen. A quartz geode consists of a hollow rock (usually with an approximately spherical shape) with a core lined with a bed of crystals.

Gold
Gold is the most popular choice for men's and ladies wedding rings and engagement rings. Gold is also very popular in dress rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets. There are two things to consider when looking at gold. First, which gold carat to choose and second, the gold color or the combination of gold colors available.


Gold carat
There are several carats available for gold.
The carat is the gold content of the metal. The carat measures the proportion of pure gold mixed with other metal alloy to make up the final metal. The carat of gold is represented in many countries by the abbreviation ct. Carat can also be called karat, represented by kt or K. You may notice that carat or ct is also used to measure the weight of diamonds and gemstones. Although the same name is used, the two measurements are measuring different characteristics of jewellery. The gold carats normally used in men's wedding rings are 9ct, 14ct and 18ct. The higher the proportion of gold used in the final metal, the more valuable and expensive the metal will be. So all other things being the same, an 18ct ring will be more expensive than a 14ct ring and a 14ct ring will be more expensive than a 9ct ring.


Gold
9ct gold contains 37.5% pure gold (375 parts per thousand parts).
14ct gold contains 58.5% pre gold (585 parts per thousand parts).
18ct gold contains 75% pure gold (750 parts per thousand parts).

The remainder of the metals is made up of a combination of alloys, different metals which can help to give the metal its unique appearance, such as a different color. Other gold carats are used in different parts of the world including 10ct, 22ct and 24ct. It is generally considered that 22ct and 24ct gold are too soft to be used to make men's wedding rings. 10ct gold (417 parts pure gold per thousand parts) is very similar to 9ct gold and the reason why some countries use 9ct and other countries use 10ct is due to historical reasons, rather than one being superior to the other. Jewellery is normally stamped with a marking to show the type of gold.

For 9ct gold the stamp will normally be either the number 375, 9ct, 9kt or 9K.
For 14ct gold the stamp will normally be either the number 585, 14ct, 14kt or 14K.
For 18ct gold the stamp will normally be either the number 750, 18ct, 18kt or 18K.


The stamps only indicate the carat of metal. They do not indicate the color of the metal. So for example an 18ct yellow gold ring would have a stamp of 750 as would an 18ct white gold ring. 9ct, 14ct and 18ct gold are each relatively hard and durable metals and are suitable for use in all types of fine jewellery. Gold is also suitable to be used in jewellery that is worn on an every day basis.

When choosing jewellery, particularly rings, many people consider the hardness and durability of gold to be used in their ring. Metal hardness is measured by what is called the Vickers scale where harder metals receive a higher Vickers score than less hard metals. 9ct has a Vickers hardness of 120 and 18ct has a Vickers hardness of 125. This shows 18ct as harder, but the difference is so slight that in practical terms 9ct and 18ct are much the same in terms of hardness. There is another difference that should be considered when comparing 9ct and 18ct. 9ct is more difficult to bend and is a little more springy and therefore a fine 9ct ring may be less likely to bend out of shape than a fine 18ct ring. However, if the ring is of a good sturdy construction neither metal will be likely to bend out of shape.


Gold colors
Next you need to consider the color of gold.
Gold is available in several different colors. The most popular is yellow gold, followed by white gold and rose gold, though other gold colors are sometimes also available such as bronze, red and lime gold. Jewellery can also be made using a combination of different gold colors. These jewellery items are sometimes called two-tone, three-tone or multi-colored gold. The gold content of yellow gold is measured in the same way it is measured in for example white gold. So an 18ct white gold ring contains 75% pure gold, just as 18ct yellow gold contains 75% pure gold. The difference in color between yellow, white and rose is determined by the metals used in the alloy mix. As the color difference is due to the metal components in the alloy mix, the color of yellow gold and rose gold will not chip, fade or wear off with age. Yellow gold is made by mixing pure gold with alloy metals such as copper and zinc. Rose gold is made using a mix of pure gold with alloys including copper. The copper provides the rose-reddish color. White gold is an alloy of gold and some white metals such as silver and palladium. Traditionally nickel was used in white gold, however, nickel is no longer used in most white gold made today as nickel can cause reactions with some people. When white gold rings are new they can be coated with another white metal called Rhodium. Rhodium is a metal very similar to platinum and rhodium shares many of the properties of platinum including its white color. The rhodium plating is used to make the white gold look more white. The natural color of white gold is actually a light grey color. The rhodium is very white and very hard, but it does wear away eventually. To keep a white gold ring looking its best it should be re-rhodium plated approximately each 12 to 18 months. Most local jewellers are able to rhodium plate jewellery for a cost effective price. As each gold color contains the same proportion of pure gold all gold colors with the same carat weight when measured on the Vickers scale have the same Vickers score. There can be a difference in color between the different carats of gold. 18ct yellow gold is more yellow than 9ct yellow gold with 18ct yellow gold having a richer golden color making 18ct yellow gold a more popular choice of yellow gold than 9ct for ladies engagement rings. 9ct rose gold has a darker rose-copper color than 18ct rose gold which has a more subtle rose color. 9ct white gold and 18ct white gold have a similar white color (as normally both have a rhodium plating finish. When comparing the price of the gold colours in the same carat, white gold is normally a little more expensive than yellow gold and rose gold. Yellow gold and rose gold normally have approximately the same price.

When trying to decide between the gold carat types there are three things to consider.

1. The metals performance with every day wear.
2. The difference in color between the 9ct, 14ct and 18ct gold
3. The difference in price between the gold carats.

In practical terms, 18ct generally holds up to everyday wear better than 9ct and tends to look better than 9ct as it ages over the years. This is one of the reasons why 18ct is normally preferred for ladies engagement rings rather than 9ct. 18ct is the superior metal for lady's and men's wedding rings provided that the ring is not a lightweight construction. However, 18ct is more expensive than 14ct and 9ct, which is usually fine for ladies engagement rings, though in a large men's ring the 18ct price can be a noticeable difference. 9ct, 14ct and 18ct are each suitable equally suitable for use in dress rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and necklaces. Many people choose 9ct and 14ct for their earrings and pendants due to its lower price.


Titanium
Titanium is a natural element which has a silver-greyish-white color. Titanium is the hardest natural metal in the world. It is very strong, three times the strength of steel and much stronger than gold, silver and platinum and yet is very light weight. Pure titanium is also 100% hypo-allergenic which means that it if safe for anyone to wear as it will not react to your skin. Titanium provides several unique factors that make it a good metal for jewellery. It is very strong, more dent, bend and scratch resistant than gold, silver and platinum, is lightweight and importantly offers an exotic array of colours which other metals simply do not. One factor to consider with titanium is that titanium cannot be soldered, which means that titanium rings cannot normally be resized. Titanium rings made using pure titanium can normally be cut-off the finger in the event of an emergency, though they are more difficult to cut-off than gold, silver or platinum rings. Aircraft grade titanium rings normally cannot be cut-off in the event of an emergency. Titanium is popular in earrings and bracelets for both ladies and men.


Platinum
Platinum is a white metal, but unlike gold it is used in jewellery in almost its pure form (approximately 95% pure). Platinum is extremely long wearing and is very white, so it does not need to be rhodium plated like white gold does. Platinum is very dense and heavy metal, so a platinum ring will feel heavier than an 18ct gold ring. Platinum is, however, significantly more expensive than gold. With all other things being the same, a platinum ring will be approximately twice the price of an 18ct white gold ring. Platinum is a prestige choice and is often chosen for its sophisticated appeal and popularity amongst the rich and famous. Platinum is normally not used in the full range of jewellery products due to its higher price. Platinum is mainly used in ladies engagement rings, ladies wedding rings and men's wedding rings. Platinum can also be used to make dress rings, though it is not commonly used to make earrings, pendants, bracelets or necklaces.


Silver
Sterling silver is a white-grey colored metal which is less expensive than gold, platinum and titanium. Silver is a softer metal than gold, titanium and platinum and does not have hardness that the other metals do. Silver is a popular metal for use in jewellery such as earrings, pendants, bracelets, necklaces and dress rings. It is best used for jewellery that will not be worn every day for an extended period. For that reason it is usually not recommend to be chosen for ladies and men's wedding rings, and is not suitable for ladies engagement rings. Silver is also more prone to oxidisation, sometimes causing the silver to turn black. The silver jewellery can easily be made to look like new again if you use a silver jewellery cleaner (available from most department stores) or if you have your jewellery cleaned by a local jeweller.


Tungsten Carbide
Tungsten carbide, also referred to simply as tungsten, is a very hard, strong and durable metal. It's also quite heavy. Tungsten has a characteristic unique to this special metal - tungsten is highly scratch resistant. Unlike gold, platinum and even titanium, tungsten rings do not scratch with everyday wear like the other metals do. It is technically possible to scratch tungsten, though only with objects that are harder than tungsten. So that leaves diamonds, sapphires, rubies and ceramic. Though unless you dragged the tip of a loose diamond along the tungsten, the metal will stay scratch resistant. Having a wedding band that's scratch resistant offers a lot of advantages. Tungsten always looks new and bright and shiny. Tungsten offers what's referred to as a permanent polish, which means that it doesn't need to be re-polished. So, it doesn't need the polishing maintenance that gold, platinum and titanium rings do. Tungsten stands up to the wear that even the roughest husbands can dish-out, making it a popular choice for men's wedding rings. Tungsten has an appealing colour which almost all men like. The tungsten color is a grey-white colour, similar to that of white gold or titanium. Tungsten is particularly popular in men's wedding rings.The range of tungsten jewellery is generally more restricted than for other metals. Tungsten rings cannot be resized (as tungsten can't be cut and resoldered), so it's important to have your finger size accuratley measured before buying a tungsten ring.


Stainless steel
Stainless steel is a metal not traditionally used in fine jewellery, though its popularity in dress jewellery is increasing. Stainless steel is a relatively hard and durable metal. It is particularly popular in men's bracelets, necklaces and men's dress rings. The range of stainless steel jewellery is generally more restricted than for other metals.