50th Anniversary Gifts
For the 50th anniversary, the traditional and modern lists both give gold. Golden-rod made a fitting floral decoration, Maud C. Cooke's 1899 guide suggested, and if no one could afford many gold gifts, friends could "club" together for one.
50th Anniversary Gifts at a glance
| Traditional gift | Gold |
|---|---|
| Modern gift | Gold |
| Gemstone (GIA list) | Gold, or Golden South Sea cultured pearls |
| Flower (Emily Post Institute) | Yellow rose (June birth flower) |
| Also called | Golden wedding, or golden anniversary (Cambridge Dictionary) |
| Married couples who had reached it, 2009 | 6.2% (Census Bureau) |
| Length of marriage | 18,262 or 18,263 days (12 or 13 February 29s) |
Why gold for the fiftieth anniversary?
Gold jewelry is almost never pure gold. GIA says pure gold is too soft for rings, so it is mixed with other metals. The mix also sets the color. White gold uses metals such as nickel, palladium and zinc, and rose gold uses copper and silver. So a 50th gift can be yellow, white or rose and still be gold.
Emily Post's 1922 Etiquette called the golden wedding "a quite sacred event." Most often, she wrote, it was a large family dinner for the children and grandchildren. Otherwise the couple spent an afternoon at home receiving friends and neighbors, who were expected to bring presents made of gold.
Karats, gold-filled and vermeil
- Karat counts gold in 24 parts. GIA says 24K is pure gold, 18K is 75% gold and 14K is 58.3%. By the same math, 10K is about 41.7%.
- Under the FTC Jewelry Guides, the word "gold" on its own means 24 karat. Anything less must show its karat, such as "14K Gold." A hollow piece should not be sold as "solid" gold.
- Gold-filled and vermeil are not solid gold. FTC guides define gold-filled as a 10K or better layer at least 1/20 of the metal's weight. Vermeil is sterling silver with at least 2.5 microns of gold.
- GIA's other pick for the 50th is golden South Sea cultured pearls. GIA research describes dyed and heat-treated "golden" pearls, so ask whether the color is natural. A gem lab can test it.
50th anniversary gift ideas
- Gold jewelry or a gold watch
- A gold-framed photo of your wedding day beside one from today
- A family dinner or party for the golden anniversary
When is your 50 year wedding anniversary?
More date tools: Anniversary Calculator, Birthday Calendar, What Day Was I Born.
Anniversary gifts for other years
50th Anniversary Gifts questions
What is the 50 year anniversary gift?
Gold, whatever list you go by. The 1888 edition of Hill's Manual called the 50th "a glorious golden wedding," after which "the aged couple are allowed to enjoy their many gifts in peace."
How do I get a letter from the President for a 50th anniversary?
Request it with the online form at whitehouse.gov/greetings. Choose Wedding Anniversary, then 50th, and enter the anniversary date, both spouses' names and their mailing address. You also give your own name, email and phone number. The form offers anniversary years of 25th, 50th and 51+.
Published October 9, 2026. Last updated October 29, 2026.