60th wedding anniversary gifts
Diamond is both the traditional and the modern gift for the 60th, which is why sixty years is called the diamond wedding anniversary. This guide covers diamond jewellery, keepsakes the whole family can put together, outings that come to the couple rather than the other way round, and how to request a message from the King.
What this anniversary symbolises
The diamond title for sixty years has a royal history. Hallmark says the 75th was the original diamond anniversary, and that the 60th was added after Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, sixty years after taking the throne. The newer date stuck. Australian lists from Michael Hill, Shiels, When Freddie Met Lilly and Easy Weddings all put diamond at sixty today, and the 75th still carries diamond on some lists as well.
Sixty years asks for a material that will not wear down, and diamond is the natural choice for a marriage that has outlasted almost everything around it. A diamond is also small, which matters more at this stage than people expect. A couple married six decades may well be downsizing or simply have all the things they want, so the best diamond anniversary gifts take up little room, or no room at all, and lean on memory and time spent together.
For very long marriages the gift usually comes from children and grandchildren together, so plan it as a family project. A photo book, a family tree or a portrait session can involve every generation, and each one costs far less than fine jewellery. If there is a jewellery budget, one diamond piece for each partner, or a small diamond set into the rings they already wear, keeps the gift personal. Above all, choose things that come to the couple: an afternoon tea nearby or a photographer at home asks nothing of them but to show up.
Traditional gift: Diamond
Diamond is the traditional 60th gift, and for many couples that means one well-chosen piece rather than a collection. Kailis lists its Dia pave diamond studs at about $1,995, while a jeweller can set a small diamond into a wedding band worn for sixty years and quote for the work. A pink Argyle diamond is now a collector purchase rather than an everyday gift, so leave it to families who already planned for one.
Modern gift: Diamond
The modern list also gives diamond for the 60th, so there is no second material to weigh up. That frees the family to carry the diamond theme into keepsakes: a personalised clock or plaque marked with the diamond anniversary, a photo book with a sixty-year timeline, or a sparkling-wine toast at an afternoon tea.
- Traditional
- Diamond
- Modern
- Diamond
- Gemstone
- Diamond
- Name
- Diamond anniversary
In Australia: The Argyle mine in Western Australia's Kimberley, once the world's biggest pink diamond mine, closed on 3 November 2020 after 37 years, which makes an Argyle pink an heirloom piece for a 60th rather than a stock jewellery item.
Gift ideas by budget
Under $50 (AUD)
Newspaper from the wedding year
Etsy AU sellers offer a personalised newspaper from the year of the wedding at about $29, a talking point at the party for every grandchild who was not yet born.
Photo book from the grandchildren
Kmart Photos books start at $5 for a small 20-photo book and Officeworks personalised hard covers at about $17.95, so even the youngest grandchildren can make one.
Personalised acrylic photo block
Etsy AU lists personalised 60th acrylic blocks at about $35, small enough for a bedside table or a windowsill.
Stained glass tree suncatcher
A 60th anniversary suncatcher shaped like a tree sells for about $37 on Etsy AU, a window piece that catches the morning light.
$50 to $250 (AUD)
Personalised diamond anniversary wall clock
Zazzle AU prints personalised 60th wall clocks at about $82.70, a practical gift that marks the date every time someone checks the hour.
Family tree plaque
Red Hill Creative lists a 30cm family tree plaque at about $65, and The Humble Gift Co sells a plywood and hardwood family tree at about $99.95, with room for every name.
Afternoon tea for two at the Hotel Windsor
RedBalloon lists a weekday afternoon tea for two at Melbourne's Hotel Windsor at about $178, a gentle outing with no early start.
Two-hour Yarra high tea cruise
Adrenaline lists the two-hour cruise from about $119 per person, roughly $238 for both of them, and they see Melbourne from a seat with a cup of tea.
Restored and framed wedding photo
Have the original wedding photograph scanned, restored and framed, one for his side of the house and one for hers, or a single large print for the lounge.
Custom family tree artwork
Acorn Family Trees in Perth makes custom family tree artwork from about $235, drawn up from the names the family supplies.
$250 and up (AUD)
In-home family portrait session
One Sydney family photographer lists an in-home package from about $395 including travel, so every generation can be photographed without the couple leaving home.
Kailis pave diamond studs
Kailis lists its Dia pave diamond studs at about $1,995 and its Everlasting diamond studs at about $6,950, the headline diamond gift for her.
A diamond set into his wedding band
A jeweller can add a small diamond to the ring he has worn for six decades; ask for a written quote, because the cost depends on the band.
Sydney Harbour cruise with lunch
RedBalloon lists a Sydney Harbour cruise with a three-course lunch for two at about $258; ask the operator about access and seating before you book.
Quick picks by recipient
For her
- Stained glass tree suncatcher
- Restored and framed wedding photo
- Kailis pave diamond studs
For him
- Restored and framed wedding photo
- A diamond set into his wedding band
For the couple
- Newspaper from the wedding year
- Personalised acrylic photo block
- Personalised diamond anniversary wall clock
For parents
- Newspaper from the wedding year
- Photo book from the grandchildren
- Family tree plaque
What to write in the card
- Sixty years ago you made a promise, and you have kept it every day since. Happy diamond anniversary, Mum and Dad.
- To Nan and Pop: sixty years together and a family that keeps on growing. We love you both more than we can say.
- Happy diamond anniversary to a couple who have shown all of us how it is done. Congratulations on sixty wonderful years.
- Sixty years married and still holding hands at the shops. You two are our favourite love story.
- Sixty years with you, and I would choose you again in a heartbeat. Happy anniversary, my darling.
More wording by recipient and milestone is in our anniversary messages and wishes.
What to avoid
- A big surprise trip that needs long flights or early starts; check with the couple first, or bring the celebration to them.
- More things to dust and store; if the couple are downsizing, give photographs, memories or time together instead of objects.
- Booking an outing without asking the operator about steps, seating and accessible toilets; we have not checked access for the experiences listed here.
- Leaving the official messages to the last month; lodge the request two to three months before the anniversary.
Ways to celebrate
- Read the letters from the King, the Governor-General and the Prime Minister aloud at the party; PM&C can post them up to a month early if the party falls before the date.
- Hold the lunch at home or close by, and let the rest of the family do the cooking and the travelling.
- Recreate the wedding photo with the couple in the same pose, then frame the old and new prints side by side.
- Ask each grandchild to bring one question about the wedding day, and record the couple's answers for the family.
- Book a photographer to come to the house and capture every generation in one frame.
Official congratulations for the 60th
From the 50th anniversary, the Prime Minister and the Governor-General send a free message of congratulations. For the 60th, 65th, 70th and every anniversary after that, the King sends one as well.
One request covers every message. Lodge it with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) through the online form, by email or by post, or ask the office of any federal MP or senator to lodge it for you.
The online form takes requests up to 3 months before the date, and it is best lodged at least 2 months ahead. You will need a copy of the marriage certificate or a statutory declaration. Belated requests are accepted up to 6 months after the anniversary.
Official sources differ on permanent residents and on some state rules for late requests, so check with PM&C if either applies. State Premiers, Governors and MPs send messages too: ask the office of your state MP how to request one.
60th anniversary questions
Diamond is the traditional 60th anniversary gift, and the modern list gives diamond too. Diamond is also the year's gemstone on the Shiels and Eternity Rose lists, so every list points the same way for this year.
Hallmark says the 75th was the original diamond anniversary, and the 60th was added after Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Both years now carry the diamond name, and some lists give diamond and gold for the 75th.
Gifts that bring the family to them usually work best: a photo book or family tree from the grandchildren, an in-home portrait session, or an afternoon tea close to home. Diamond jewellery, such as a pair of studs or a stone added to a wedding band, suits a family that wants one lasting piece.
No Australian source names one, and Wikipedia notes that anniversary flower lists run only to the 50th. Flowers from the original wedding bouquet, or simply the couple's favourites, make a more personal choice.
Australians apply through the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), not Buckingham Palace. One request covers the King, who sends for the 60th, 65th, 70th and every year after, plus the Governor-General and the Prime Minister, who send from the 50th. Apply online, by email, by post or through the office of a federal MP or a senator, with a copy of the marriage certificate or a statutory declaration.
The online form will not accept a request more than 3 months before the date, so lodge it 2 to 3 months ahead. Late requests are accepted up to six months after, and PM&C may pass the details to the state Governor or Premier so they can send their own letters.
Prefer cash toward something bigger?
Set up a free anniversary registry and let friends and family chip in toward a trip, an experience, or one special gift.