35th Anniversary Gifts
The traditional list pairs the 35th anniversary with coral, and the modern list with jade. Coral has held this year for a long time: Maud C. Cooke's 1899 etiquette guide already called the 35th the coral wedding.
35th Anniversary Gifts at a glance
| Traditional gift | Coral |
|---|---|
| Modern gift | Jade |
| Gemstone (GIA list) | Emerald (May birthstone) |
| Flower (Emily Post Institute) | Coral rose (June birth flower) |
| Married couples who had reached it, 2009 | 21.2% (Census Bureau) |
| Length of marriage | 12,783 or 12,784 days (8 or 9 February 29s) |
Why coral for the thirty-fifth anniversary?
Gem coral is the hard skeleton of a colony of tiny sea animals called polyps, built from calcium carbonate. Mediterranean red coral gets its color from carotenoid pigments. GIA notes it has been prized for personal adornment for more than two thousand years. Jade, the modern gift, is a name shared by two different minerals, jadeite and nephrite. Both are exceptionally tough, because they are made of tiny interlocking crystals. In China, nephrite carving has flourished for more than 3,000 years.
Coral permits, coral fakes and jade grades
- Ask which coral it is. Some Pacific red and pink corals have been on CITES Appendix III since 2008, at China's request, so taking them across borders needs CITES paperwork. Mediterranean red coral is not listed.
- Black coral has been on CITES Appendix II since 1981. NOAA says Hawaii black coral is the only coral legally harvested in the US, under state and federal management.
- Fakes and dyed coral are common. GIA lists glass, plastic, ceramics, composites and dyed shell as red coral imitations, and has found dyed bone sold as coral. Ask in writing whether it is dyed.
- For jade, ask whether it is jadeite or nephrite. For jadeite, ask for "A" jade, which is untreated. GIA explains that "B" jade is acid-bleached and filled with polymer resin, and "C" jade is dyed.
35th anniversary gift ideas
- Coral-colored things: a scarf, a print or a vase
- A trip to the ocean or an aquarium
- A coral-toned bouquet of roses
- Jade jewelry or a jade carving (modern)
When is your 35 year wedding anniversary?
More date tools: Anniversary Calculator, Birthday Calendar, What Day Was I Born.
Anniversary gifts for other years
35th Anniversary Gifts questions
What is the 35 year anniversary gift?
Traditionally coral. The modern gift is jade, and the Chicago Public Library's version of the traditional list gives jade as well.
Is coral jewelry legal and ethical?
It is sold legally in the US, which NOAA calls the world's largest consumer of red and pink coral. NOAA's advice is not to give coral as a present, since harvesting has shrunk wild colonies. Jade or coral-colored gifts avoid the question.
Published October 9, 2026. Last updated October 29, 2026.