Seventeenth Anniversary Stone: Watches & Pink Tourmaline
The seventeenth wedding anniversary stone is a watch traditionally, or pink tourmaline as the modern stone. Here's what it is, how it holds up to everyday wear, and how to turn it into a piece worth keeping.
Key takeaways
- The traditional 17th anniversary gift is a watch, not a gemstone, while the modern anniversary list assigns pink tourmaline to year seventeen.
- Pink tourmaline ranges from a pale blush to a hot magenta, and tourmaline as a family comes in more colours than almost any other gemstone.
- Tourmaline sits at about 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, hard enough for everyday rings if the setting is sensible.
- If your partner is a watch person, the traditional gift still holds up beautifully; if they are a jewellery person, pink tourmaline is the warmer, more personal route.
- We set pink tourmaline into rings, pendants, and earrings by hand in our Coquitlam workshop, matching the pink to the metal that flatters it.
- See how year seventeen sits among the other anniversary stones before you decide between the watch and the stone.
What is the 17th anniversary stone?
Seventeen is one of the years where honesty matters, because the traditional list and the modern list point in completely different directions. The traditional 17th anniversary gift is a watch. There is no old gemstone attached to the year at all. The modern list, which was assembled more recently to give every year a stone, assigns pink tourmaline to the seventeenth anniversary, as you can see on the International Gem Society list. So if someone tells you the 17th stone is pink tourmaline, they are right about the modern convention, but the older custom is a watch. Both are legitimate. You are choosing between a gift about keeping time together and a gift about warmth and colour.
About pink tourmaline
Pink tourmaline is one shade in a mineral family that is famous for coming in nearly every colour there is. Tourmaline shows up green, blue, red, yellow, black, and in stones that split two colours down the middle. The pink runs from a delicate, powdery blush right up to a saturated raspberry, and the vivid rich-pink material is sometimes called rubellite. There is no single correct pink here. A soft blush reads romantic and gentle; a hot magenta reads bold and modern.
On durability, tourmaline lands at roughly 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. That is a genuinely practical hardness. It is tough enough to wear on the hand day to day, provided the setting protects it and you are not hammering it against hard surfaces. It is not diamond, so it can be scratched by harder material, but for a coloured stone it holds up well. You can compare it against other options on our gemstone guide.
Why a watch, and why pink tourmaline
The watch tradition has a nice logic to it. Seventeen years in, a couple has spent a great deal of time together, and a watch is a gift about time: worn daily, checked constantly, quietly counting the hours. It is also a genuinely useful, lasting object, which fits a marriage that has proven it can last. Pink tourmaline, the modern choice, leans on colour instead. The soft-to-deep pink is an easy stand-in for affection, and because tourmaline is not tied to any single famous legend, it carries whatever meaning you give it. Neither the watch nor the stone comes with heavy mystical baggage, which frankly makes seventeen an easy year to shop for. Pick the object that suits the person.
Choosing a pink tourmaline piece
If you go the stone route, pink tourmaline is forgiving. At 7 to 7.5, it is hard enough that a ring is a reasonable everyday choice, unlike a soft stone such as opal or pearl. I would still steer you toward a setting that tucks the stone down a little, a low crown or a bezel, rather than a tall showy mount that catches on everything. For a first coloured-stone gift, a pendant is the safest bet and shows the pink off at its best against the skin. Earrings are lovely too, since a matched pair of pinks reads deliberate and finished. On metal, warm pink tourmaline sits happily in yellow or rose gold, while a cooler blush pink can look crisp and clean in white gold or platinum. We build all of it by hand in Coquitlam, so we can match the exact pink you fall for to the metal that makes it sing, and size it to the wearer. If a watch is more their language, that is a fine tradition to honour, and a piece of tourmaline can wait for another year on the list.
Caring for pink tourmaline
Tourmaline is reasonably tough but still benefits from sensible care. Clean it with warm water, mild soap, and a soft brush, and dry it well. Take a ring off before rough work or the gym so the stone does not take a direct hit. Store it apart from harder stones like sapphire and diamond so it does not get scratched in the box. Tourmaline can be sensitive to sharp temperature swings, so keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners and steam unless a jeweller has checked the particular stone first. Treated gently, a pink tourmaline holds its colour and its polish for a lifetime.
Turn your seventeenth anniversary stone into a piece you’ll wear
Bring the year, the stone and a rough budget. Our on-site goldsmith in Coquitlam will design it with you — reset a stone you already own, or build something new around the right gem.
Prefer to talk? Call our studio at (604) 653-6449.Frequently asked questions
What is the traditional 17th anniversary gift?
The traditional 17th anniversary gift is a watch, not a gemstone. There is no old gemstone tied to the seventeenth year at all.
What is the modern 17th anniversary stone?
The modern anniversary list assigns pink tourmaline to the 17th year. So a watch is the traditional gift and pink tourmaline is the modern stone.
Should I give a watch or a gemstone for a 17th anniversary?
Either is correct. Choose a watch if your partner is a watch person and likes the idea of a gift about time together. Choose pink tourmaline if they are drawn to colour and jewellery.
What colour is pink tourmaline?
It ranges from a pale blush pink to a deep raspberry or magenta. The richest, most vivid pink and red material is sometimes called rubellite.
Is pink tourmaline durable enough for an engagement-style ring?
It is a practical everyday stone at about 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, so a ring is reasonable if the setting protects the stone. It is not as hard as sapphire or diamond, so it needs a little more care.
What metal looks best with pink tourmaline?
Warm, deeper pinks look great in yellow or rose gold, while cooler blush pinks look crisp in white gold or platinum. It comes down to the exact shade of the stone.
How do I clean pink tourmaline?
Warm water, mild soap, and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and steam unless a jeweller has cleared your specific stone, and store it away from harder stones so it does not get scratched.
Can Vanhess set a pink tourmaline I choose?
Yes. We set pink tourmaline into rings, pendants, and earrings by hand in our Coquitlam workshop and can match the exact pink to the metal that flatters it best.