What Is the Traditional Gift for a Fortieth Wedding Anniversary?

Anniversaries are a special occasion to celebrate the love and bond between a couple. Whether it’s six months, six years, or sixty years, each anniversary is another chance to demonstrate the passion and devotion that has kept the flame alive. 

With the abundance of gems found in the country, ruby and diamond rings in Australia have a long history dating back to the earliest British colonial settlements. 

Anniversary Years and Symbols

The middle ages held the twenty-fifth and fiftieth wedding anniversaries to be of utmost importance. It is said that in mediaeval Germany, a silver wreath was the traditional gift of twenty-five years, and gold was the icon of fifty years. 

During the Victorian era, the idea of proper etiquette became mainstream, and while Queen Victoria herself was immune to these rules, those wishing to have an audience with her were required to use elaborate and specific etiquette in her presence. 

So strong was Victoria’s position as a role model that she influenced everything from clothing to architecture, and even had a hand in inventing what became the sixtieth anniversary tradition. She established this as being symbolised in diamond, celebrating her incredible achievement of being on the throne for sixty years. 

Etiquette didn’t perish with Queen Victoria. In fact, it flourished thanks to the legendary American author Emily Post. Her book of etiquette, published in 1922, listed traditional gifts for the first, fifth, tenth, fifteenth, twentieth, twenty-fifth, fiftieth, and seventy-fifth anniversaries. 

Another popular narrative is that around the late 1930s, the American Jeweller Association had a hand in crafting a list that included the ruby, the sapphire, and the emerald as symbols of the fortieth, forty-fifth, and fifty-fifth anniversary, respectively.

Rubies as a Symbol of Love and Passion

Rubies aren’t just for a fortieth wedding anniversary. The beginning of an everlasting relationship is also a great time to offer this beautiful stone to your love. What ruby engagement rings symbolise is obviously important, signifying the intensity of the love felt for a partner and the everlasting flame between them. 

When paired with diamonds as part of an engagement ring, many gems will shine brilliantly in bright light. This causes the gems to appear as shimmering glints in a rainbow of colours, meaning their true colour can get lost among the diamonds. 

Due to their physical properties, the crystalline structure that makes up a ruby causes the full spectrum of light to enter but only reflects back the colour red. This makes rubies an excellent compliment to a diamond engagement ring where both the rubies and diamonds stand out distinctly. 

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many years a ruby anniversary is–what’s important is the love and devotion that exists between two people. A ruby is a timeless reminder of the everlasting flame that burns brightly. Whether it’s your first or fortieth anniversary, or another special occasion, rubies are the perfect gift to demonstrate your love!