Fiftieth Anniversary Stone: Gold (Golden Jubilee)
The fiftieth anniversary is the golden jubilee. Like the silver jubilee, it is a metal milestone rather than one gemstone — the gift is gold, and golden-hued stones such as citrine, golden sapphire or a golden South Sea pearl are the natural add-ons.
Key takeaways
- The 50th anniversary is the golden jubilee, so the milestone is a metal, gold, not a single gemstone. The traditional list gives gold; the modern list leans on golden-hued stones or a diamond.
- If you want a stone in the golden theme, the two obvious picks are yellow sapphire (very hard, 9 on the Mohs scale) and citrine (softer, 7 on the Mohs scale). See our sapphire guide.
- For a piece worn every day, yellow sapphire is the more durable choice; citrine is more affordable and comes in larger sizes but scratches more easily.
- A 50th anniversary is a natural moment to redesign or upgrade the original rings, adding gold, diamonds or a golden stone rather than starting from scratch.
- Good golden-jubilee pieces: a gold band or eternity ring, a yellow-sapphire ring, or golden-stone earrings and pendants. Gold on gold reads clearly as "50 years."
- We work in yellow, white and rose gold and set golden stones on-site by our goldsmith in Coquitlam, BC. See our bespoke anniversary work.
What is the 50th anniversary stone?
The 50th anniversary stone is, to be honest, not a stone at all. Fifty years is the golden jubilee, and the traditional gift is gold, a metal, as the International Gem Society anniversary list sets out. If you would rather mark the year with a gemstone, the modern approach is to pick a golden-hued stone or a diamond that plays up the golden theme. So you have a fork in the road: go with gold itself, or choose a stone in a warm golden colour. Plenty of couples do both, a gold piece set with a golden stone.
Gold, and the golden-stone options
Gold is the heart of this anniversary, and it is worth thinking about which gold. Yellow gold is the natural fit for a golden jubilee and reads most clearly as "50 years." Rose gold gives a warmer, pinker tone, and white gold a cooler one. Higher karat gold (18k and up) is richer in colour but a little softer; 14k is harder and stands up better to daily wear. Our wedding band metals guide lays out the trade-offs plainly.
If you want a golden gemstone, there are two sensible choices, and the difference between them comes down to hardness. Yellow sapphire is golden corundum, the same tough mineral as blue sapphire, and it scores a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, second only to diamond. That makes it the right pick for a ring worn every day. Citrine is golden quartz, warmer and often available in big, clean stones for less money, but it is softer at a 7 on the Mohs scale and will scratch more readily over the years. Our sapphire guide covers yellow sapphire in more detail. Put simply: yellow sapphire for durability, citrine for size and value.
Why gold marks 50 years
Gold marks the fiftieth because it is the metal we reach for when something has proven it will last. Gold does not tarnish or corrode, and pieces made from it survive for generations, which is exactly the quality a fifty-year marriage represents. The golden jubilee has been used for royal reigns and long marriages alike for a very long time. There is nothing occult about it; gold simply endures, and so does a half-century together. That is the whole idea, and it is a good one.
Choosing a piece for 50 years
Our honest guidance for a golden jubilee: the most meaningful move is often not a brand-new item but a renewal of what the couple already has. After fifty years, wedding bands are usually worn thin and scratched. We can rebuild them in fresh gold, add a row of diamonds, or reset an original stone, so the ring feels renewed without losing its history. Our heirloom redesign work is built for exactly this. If you want something new, consider:
- Gold band or eternity ring. A wide gold band, or one set with diamonds all the way round, is a clear golden-jubilee marker.
- Yellow-sapphire ring. The golden theme in stone form, and hard enough to wear daily.
- Golden-stone earrings or pendant. Citrine works beautifully here, since earrings and pendants take far less wear than a ring, so its softness matters less.
On setting and care: yellow sapphire is hard enough for any setting and needs little fuss. Citrine, being softer, does better in a pendant or earrings than in a ring that gets knocked about; if you do set it in a ring, ask for a protective setting and take it off for rough work. Everything we make is designed and set by our goldsmith on-site in Coquitlam, BC. We work in yellow, white and rose gold, set golden stones to order, and can rebuild fifty-year-old rings in fresh gold. Bring the originals in and we will plan the piece around them.
It also helps to think about the wearer's daily life when you choose. If the piece is for someone who gardens, cooks and never takes their rings off, lean toward gold and yellow sapphire, both of which take that kind of wear in stride. If it is more of an occasion piece worn a few times a year, citrine opens up bigger, brighter stones for less money, and its softness matters far less when it spends most of its time in a box. Old gold is worth mentioning too: worn-out fifty-year-old bands are still gold, and we can melt and reuse that metal in a new piece, so the original rings literally carry into the next one. For a golden jubilee, that continuity tends to mean more than a shop-bought item, and it keeps the cost down as well.
Turn your fiftieth 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 50th anniversary stone?
There isn't a traditional single gemstone for 50 years. The 50th is the golden jubilee, so the traditional gift is gold, a metal. If you want a stone, the modern approach is a golden-hued gem such as yellow sapphire or citrine, or a diamond.
Is the 50th anniversary gold or a gemstone?
Traditionally it's gold, the metal. Fifty years is the golden jubilee. The modern approach adds golden-coloured stones or a diamond. Many couples combine the two by setting a golden stone in gold.
Yellow sapphire or citrine for a 50th anniversary?
Yellow sapphire is much harder, scoring 9 on the Mohs scale versus citrine's 7, so it's the better choice for a ring worn every day. Citrine is more affordable and comes in larger clean stones, and it suits pendants and earrings where wear is less of an issue.
Which gold should I choose for a golden jubilee?
Yellow gold reads most clearly as 50 years. Rose gold is warmer and white gold cooler. Higher karat gold like 18k is richer in colour but softer, while 14k is harder and stands up better to daily wear.
Can you rebuild our old wedding rings for a 50th anniversary?
Yes. After fifty years bands are usually worn thin. We can rebuild them in fresh gold, add diamonds, or reset the original stone, keeping the history while renewing the ring. It's all done on-site in Coquitlam.
What is a good 50th anniversary gift?
A gold band or eternity ring, a yellow-sapphire ring, or citrine earrings and pendant all suit the golden theme. Renewing the couple's original rings in fresh gold is often the most meaningful choice.
Is citrine durable enough for a ring?
It's softer than most ring stones, at 7 on the Mohs scale, so it scratches more readily over the years. If you want citrine in a ring, ask for a protective setting and remove it for rough work. It's better suited to earrings or a pendant.
Do you make custom 50th anniversary pieces?
Yes. Our goldsmith designs and sets everything on-site in Coquitlam, BC. We work in yellow, white and rose gold, set golden stones to order, and can rebuild fifty-year-old rings in fresh gold.