10 year anniversary gift ideas for wife

Celebrate your first decade of marriage with a fresh take on traditional symbols

If you or someone you know is celebrating a decade of marriage, you might be wondering what is the anniversary gift for 10 years. The traditional anniversary gift for 10 years is made of tin or aluminum. Tin is the symbol for a 10th wedding anniversary—and consequently your 10-year anniversary is called your tin anniversary—because the material represents the durability and flexibility needed to sustain a loving union. 

Playing off the metallic tin/aluminum theme, silver is the color that represents a 10-year anniversary. And as far as what stone is for 10 years of marriage, diamond is the stone of choice to give in gifts of jewelry. Diamonds symbolize longevity and love. 

Whether you're looking for a 10-year anniversary gift that's modern, traditional, or even unusual, these options will help to inspire your search.

10-Year Anniversary Gift Traditions

• Traditional metal: Tin/aluminum
• Stone: Diamond
• Color: Silver
• Flower: Daffodil

• Bouquet of Daffodils

  Getty Images/Gilles Le Scanff & Joëlle-Caroline Mayer

  If you're on a budget, skip the modern and traditional 10-year anniversary gift ideas and go straight for the flowers. The daffodil is the official flower of the 10th wedding anniversary. These yellow blooms symbolize rebirth and new beginnings.

  You'll notice that daffodils are one of the first blooms to pop up in spring and bring happiness after a long winter. A bouquet of daffodils will make your partner happy all year round, no matter when your 10th anniversary falls.

• Aluminum Cocktail Shaker

  Charlie Drevstam/Getty Images

  The perfect 10-year anniversary gift is largely dependent on the type of couple you are. Maybe you enjoy camping, to which an aluminum camping table might be a nice gift idea. The more meaningful you can make the gift, the better off you'll be.

  If your spouse is big into crafting cocktails, seek out various bar tools made of aluminum. We like the idea of a rust-resistant aluminum cocktail shaker. Most cocktail shakers are made from stainless steel, so you'll have to do a little digging to find one made from aluminum.

• Diamond Stud Earrings

  Getty Images/Maciej Toporowicz, NYC

  Diamond jewelry can be as lavish or as simple as you desire. It's easy to overspend, and it's also easy to buy something your loved one will never wear. So tread carefully.

  To anyone who isn't familiar with jewelry, diamond studs are like the little black dress of the accessory world. Depending on the carat size, they can be affordable or expensive. But either way, they will be timeless, wearable, and nearly indestructible.

• Aluminum/Tin Art

  Living Stone Crafts

  Both aluminum and tin are soft metals that are malleable when in thin sheets. This flexibility is great for artists who can hammer, pierce, cut, and transform this metal into a piece of art. 

  Whether you're going to attempt a DIY or buy something ready-made, the options are endless. Consider using tin as a mat for a frame, or add a photo to a modern silver-plated aluminum frame.

  Continue to 5 of 10 below.

• Diamond Anniversary Band

  Getty Images/Violeta Pironkova

  At some point during your first decade of marriage, you or your spouse might have eyed an anniversary band. And the 10th wedding anniversary is the perfect time to add one to your set, complete with the traditional stone for 10 years of marriage: diamonds.

  Consider designing a ring together for a truly custom and personalized gift. And perhaps you'd want to throw an anniversary party to renew your wedding vows with the new jewelry.

• Vintage Advertising Tin

  Busà Photography/Getty Images

  If your spouse is a collector of objects with character, a vintage tin is a great 10th wedding anniversary gift idea. Vintage advertising tins are highly collectible, and they can range widely in pricing.

  If you're not into collecting, buy a less expensive replica and pair it with an additional item, such as chocolates or jewelry. You can find replica tins fairly easily, but do note that they might not be plated with actual tin.

• Engagement Ring Upgrade

  Getty Images/Jamie Grill

  When you got married, you might not have been able to afford the engagement ring that you really wanted. If you're in the position for your 10th wedding anniversary to purchase more expensive jewelry, consider upgrading your diamond.

  A lot of jewelers offer a trade-up program where you can sell back your first diamond to go toward the upgrade. Or perhaps you've come into some family jewelry and wish to use a diamond from that to upgrade your engagement ring.

• Custom License Plate

  Getty Images/Dennis K. Johnson

  Can you make letters and numbers memorable and significant? If so, maybe your partner would appreciate a custom license plate that is made from aluminum as a 10th anniversary gift.

  Rather than worrying about state regulations, you can simply make a faux license plate with the characters of your choosing to use as wall art. Make it special by picking a plate that represents the state in which you met, got married, or had another meaningful event.
  

  Continue to 9 of 10 below.

• Personalized Tin Jewelry

  blueskyline / Getty Images

  Tin is easily stamped and formed into jewelry. It's also extremely affordable. Just keep in mind that tin jewelry will tend to look more rustic due to its usual hammered texture.

  Choose a necklace or loose bangle bracelet with some type of personalization added. Otherwise, the inexpensive nature of the item might make the gift seem like an afterthought.

• Tin Man Print

  The Yellow Dog Shoppe

  There might not be another fictional character who symbolizes a 10th wedding anniversary as perfectly as the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz." If your loved one is a fan of the classic, a Tin Man print could be the perfect 10-year anniversary gift.

  You could even customize your print with a quote fit for the occasion. As the Tin Man would say, "I shall take the heart. ​For brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world."