16th Year Anniversary - Peridot - 77 Designs

Anniversaries are traditionally celebrated with the giving of gifts relating to the year of the wedding or civil partnership. Around the turn of the 19th century it was popular to give gifts of paper, cotton or leather for the first few years. However, in more recent times and due to the increasingly availability of fine rare gemstones, it is more popular to give jewellery to the one you love.

In the sixteenth year of marriage it is customary to give the gift of Perdiot. Peridot is from the Olivine mineral family. Olivine is the species name for a series of magnesium rich silicate minerals. Peridot is a bright yellow green or golden green colour which was originally found on Egypts St. Johns island once known as Topazios. Peridot is ideochromatic, and is coloured by the ferrous iron that is basic to its compositiowever, in more recent times and due to the increasingly availability of fine rare gemstones, it is more popular to give jewellery to the one you love.

In the thirty-fifth year of marriage it is customary to give the gift of Emerald. It is said to bring wisdom, true friendship and foresight into the future. The name Itself comes from the Greek word ‘smaragdos’ a label given to a number of gems with the colour green in common. Representative of the ‘colour of spring’ emeralds are said to signify hope, new growth and eternal life.

Legend has it that an emerald changes colour in the presence of negative energy. It is also said that if the colour of the emerald is pale you are able to tell love is waning. Due to the belief by the ancients that the emerald provided foresight into the future, it is considered an amulet for good fortune.