Planners

40th Anniversary Gift

Ruby is the 40th anniversary gift on both the traditional and modern lists. Hill's Manual, in its 1888 edition, gave the 40th "the rubies," and Maud C. Cooke's 1899 guide called it the ruby wedding.

40th Anniversary Gift at a glance

40th anniversary: traditional gift ruby, gemstone ruby, flower gladiolus, 14,610 days of marriage.

Traditional gift	Ruby
Modern gift	Ruby
Gemstone (GIA list)	Ruby (July birthstone)
Flower (Emily Post Institute)	Gladiolus (August birth flower)
Also called	Ruby wedding, or ruby anniversary (Cambridge Dictionary)
Length of marriage	14,610 days (10 February 29s)

Why ruby for the fortieth anniversary?

Ruby is the red variety of corundum, the mineral that also makes sapphire. Ruby also has a long history of mistaken identity: many famous historic "rubies" turned out to be spinel. The Black Prince's Ruby in Britain's Imperial State Crown is one.

Ruby prices, inclusions and look-alikes

Set the budget by size and color together. GIA says color drives ruby's value most, and the price per carat climbs steeply with size, so a fine one-carat ruby is a rare find.
Expect some inclusions. GIA says the trade expects them, because inclusion-free rubies are practically nonexistent. Under FTC rules, a stone sold as "flawless" must show no flaws at 10x magnification.
Red spinel and garnet can pass for ruby. GIA notes that pure red garnets are rare above half a carat.
Under the FTC Jewelry Guides, plain "ruby" means a mined stone. A lab-made one must say "laboratory-created" or similar, and glass-filled stones cannot be sold as simply "ruby" or "treated ruby."

40th anniversary gift ideas

Ruby jewelry: a ring, earrings or cufflinks
Ruby-red roses or wine glasses
A family dinner, with a toast from each child

When is your 40 year wedding anniversary?

More date tools: Anniversary Calculator, Birthday Calendar, What Day Was I Born.

Anniversary gifts for other years

40th Anniversary Gift questions

What is the 40 year anniversary gift?

Ruby, on both lists, so the only choice is the stone itself. Its red comes from chromium, and GIA explains that the more chromium a ruby holds, the stronger the red.

What is the difference between a ruby and a pink sapphire?

Color saturation. Both are corundum, and GIA's policy is that red must be the dominant hue before a stone is called ruby. If the color is not saturated enough to look red, it is a pink sapphire, even when the color is strong. Some countries draw the line differently.

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