45th Anniversary Gifts
Both US lists agree on sapphire for the 45th anniversary. In Maud C. Cooke's 1899 etiquette guide, though, the 45th was the bronze wedding.
45th Anniversary Gifts at a glance
| Traditional gift | Sapphire |
|---|---|
| Modern gift | Sapphire |
| Gemstone (GIA list) | Sapphire (September birthstone) |
| Flower (Emily Post Institute) | Blue iris |
| Length of marriage | 16,436 or 16,437 days (11 or 12 February 29s) |
Why sapphire for the forty-fifth anniversary?
GIA notes that the name sapphire covers every color of corundum except red, which is ruby. That links the 45th to the 40th, the ruby anniversary: the two gifts are the same mineral in different colors.
Sapphire also marks a royal milestone, but a different one. On February 6, 2017, Queen Elizabeth II marked 65 years on the throne. She was the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee.
Sapphire color, treatments and lab reports
- Color sets the price. GIA says overly dark blue sapphires, and less saturated ones such as grayish blue, cost less than vivid stones. A slightly darker stone can stretch a budget.
- Ask how the color was made. GIA says sapphires colored by lattice diffusion often look vivid, but they are worth less than sapphires that were only heated.
- For a costly stone, a GIA report confirms whether it is natural or lab-grown and lists detectable treatments. It gives the country of origin as an opinion, and only when one can be established.
- Heating is an accepted treatment, but it still has to be disclosed. For a fine sapphire, GIA says a report finding no evidence of heat adds to its rarity and value.
45th anniversary gift ideas
- Sapphire earrings or a pendant
- A blue sapphire ring to sit beside the wedding ring
- A trip back to where you married
When is your 45 year wedding anniversary?
More date tools: Anniversary Calculator, Birthday Calendar, What Day Was I Born.
Anniversary gifts for other years
45th Anniversary Gifts questions
What is the 45 year anniversary gift?
Sapphire, on the traditional and modern lists alike. Blue sapphire takes its color from iron and titanium, GIA explains: a few hundredths of a percent is enough, and more iron makes a darker blue.
What is a star sapphire?
A star sapphire shows a star of light on its surface. GIA says it forms when crossing inclusions, called silk, sit in a stone cut as a cabochon, a smooth dome with no facets. The effect is called asterism, and the star can have 4, 6 or 12 rays.
Published October 9, 2026. Last updated October 29, 2026.