18th Wedding Anniversary
The Basics
- Wedding Decade: 2000s
- Traditional Gift: Quartz/Turquoise
- Modern Gift: Porcelain/Feather flowers
- Gemstone: Cat's Eye / Garnet
- Flower: Deep Red Flowers
- Color: Blue
Reaching the 18th year of marriage represents a significant milestone. In many cultures, 18 years of life is considered a 'coming of age' when a person moves from childhood into adulthood, and is given additional responsibilities and obligations.
So too, in a marriage which has arrived at eighteen years, many things may well have changed. You'll certainly know your partner extremely well - the good and the challenging in both of you - and you may well now have children, perhaps teenagers, of your own.
In not too many years it may be time for your own children to fly the nest and set up homes and families of their own.
Right now, there may be challenges around bringing up young adults, with the conflicts and issues this can bring.
Whatever family life looks like, take time to appreciate this 'coming of age' in your married life together.
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Traditional Gift: Quartz/ Turquoise
UK/USA
After 15 years, traditional gifts are listed only every five years. However, that doesn’t mean you can get out of buying a gift on your eighteenth anniversary!
Why not take a look at what some other countries consider a traditional gift for the 18th wedding anniversary, and take some inspiration from them.
Italy/Spain
A traditional gift in Spain and Italy is something made from the mineral quartz.
Types of quartz include:
- aqua aura, synthetically enhanced with gold coating to give a neon blue tone
- opaque aventurine
- cactus quartz, which may be a combination of amethyst and citrine, which features a large crystal overgrown with a layer of small, spiky crystals
- Faden quartz, having a white thread-like zone running through the interior
- milky quartz, a white, translucent or opaque quarts
- morion, an opaque black quartz
- praseme, a light green translucent quartz
- pink rose quartz
- rutilated quartz, featuring golden yellow needle-like inclusions
- smoky quartz, a brown, black variety of quartz
This well-known mineral is an important part of many other types of rock, and is highly varied, coming in many different forms and colors.
Varieties of quartz include amethyst (the 6th, 28th and 33rd year gemstone), citrine (13th year) and agate.
Quartz coloring can range across completely colourless, as well as white, purple, pink, brown, black, gray, green, orange, yellow, blue and red. The quartz may sometimes be multicolored or banded.
Gifts can include jewellery made from rose quartz, or a wristwatch.
France/Germany/Russia
These three countries have the blue-green mineral turquoise as their 18th anniversary gift.
Gifts can include jewellery and other trinkets containing turquoise, or all manner of presents featuring the distinctive turquoise colour.
Modern Gift: Porcelain/ Feather flowers
A modern 18th wedding anniversary present is porcelain.
A wide range of both decorative and practical gifts can be bought made from porcelain china including crockery and tableware, mugs, plaques, tiles and figurines.
Feather flowers, as the name suggests, are artificial flowers often made from real feathers. They are highly decorative and are frequently used add a finishing touch to other accessories such as hats.
The feathers are dyed, cut and shaped to look like flowers and leaves, with experienced artists able to create extremely realistic pieces.
Feather flower making dates back well over a century, to at least the 1870s, so although listed as a modern gift, it most definitely has its roots in traditional craft.
Nahuatl, translated as "Precious Feather Flower," is another name for Xochiquetzal, the Aztec god of beauty, sexual love, and household arts.
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Associated Gemstone: Cat's Eye / Garnet
Cat's Eye
Cat's Eye is one gemstone associated with the 18th wedding anniversary.
This translucent or even transparent stone is yellowy-green in color and is said to bring luck and wealth to those who wear it.
Garnet
Garnet may be an associated stone, though it is also listed as the traditional gemstone for the 2nd wedding anniversary. That said, after 16 years it's certainly past time for some more garnet jewelry?
Garnet is transformative and energy-refreshing and supposedly offers protection from evil.
It is said to bring hope, prosperity, commitment and peace, as well as increasing sex drive.
Garnet jewelry includes rings, pendants, cufflinks and earrings. The garnet gemstone is best worn next to the skin.
Garnet comes in a wide range of colors including reds, oranges and greens, so you're sure to find one that matches your partner's tastes and coloring.
Associated Flower: Deep Red Flowers
No individual flower is officially linked to the 18th wedding anniversary, however it is noted that deep red flowers may be given.
Deep red flowers include some varieties of rose, lilies, petunias, anthurium, poppy, anemone, carnation, gerbera, amaryllis, poinsettia, tulip, dahlia, dianthus, aster, hibiscus, peony, freesia, and orchid.
Other Information
In Chinese culture, 18 is considered a lucky number.