75th wedding anniversary gifts
Diamond is the traditional 75th anniversary gift, some lists pair it with gold, and there is no established modern gift for the year. This guide brings together Australian-priced keepsakes, diamond and gold pieces and gentle outings, most of them suited to a gift from children and grandchildren.
What this anniversary symbolises
Seventy-five years married is three quarters of a century, and very few couples ever see it. Hallmark says the 75th is the original diamond anniversary, and that the 60th took on the diamond name later, after Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Most Australian lists now give diamond for the 60th, so the 75th is best thought of as the year where diamond began, coming round again fifteen years after the 60th.
The Wikipedia anniversary list gives diamond and gold for the 75th, which lets a family mix the two: a gold frame around a new family portrait, or a small diamond set in gold. Gold also ties the year back to the 50th, the golden anniversary the couple celebrated a quarter of a century ago. For most families, though, the gathering matters more than the material, and the gift is a way of marking that gathering.
At seventy-five years, think first about what the couple can enjoy from home. Memory gifts lead: a photo book made by the grandchildren, a newspaper from the wedding year, or a framed family tree that may now run to four generations or more. Diamond and gold jewellery sits at the top of the range, where Kailis pave diamond studs are about $1,995, and the family can pool its budget for one piece instead of many small parcels.
Traditional gift: Diamond
Diamond is the 75th gift, with gold as its partner in some lists. Kailis pave diamond studs are about $1,995 and its Everlasting diamond studs about $6,950. For gold, a Prouds 9ct gold Figaro bracelet has a regular price of about $349 and is often on sale. A small diamond added to a ring they already wear, or a gold locket holding a family photo, keeps the 75th gift personal and easy to wear every day.
- Traditional
- Diamond
Some lists: diamond and gold
In Australia: The Governor of Victoria lists the 75th by name among the wedding anniversaries that receive a congratulatory letter, alongside the golden 50th, the diamond 60th, the 65th and the 70th.
Gift ideas by budget
Under $50 (AUD)
Newspaper from the wedding year
A reprinted newspaper from the year they married is about $29 from Etsy AU sellers; read the headlines and the grocery prices aloud over lunch.
Seventy-five photos, one per year
Choose one photo for each year of the marriage and have a grandchild write the captions. Officeworks soft cover photo books start at about $10.
Gold-ribbon letters (for her, for him)
Each grandchild writes one letter to each grandparent about a single memory, and the letters are tied in two bundles with gold ribbon.
A4 family tree print
4 Little Dreamers prints an A4 family tree for about $42, a quick update once the generations have outgrown the old one on the wall.
$50 to $200 (AUD)
Personalised 75th wall clock
Zazzle AU makes a personalised 75th clock for about $83; choose a face that is easy to read from their usual chair.
Afternoon tea for two
RedBalloon sells a weekday afternoon tea for two at Melbourne's Hotel Windsor for about $178. In other cities, look for a hotel or tearoom near home with level access and a quiet table.
Personalised family tree plaque
Red Hill Creative has listed 30cm and 40cm family tree plaques at about $65 to $75 (check stock), with each branch named for a child and their family.
$200 and up (AUD)
Diamond studs (for her)
Kailis pave diamond studs are about $1,995, a gift the children might share between them for the 75th.
Gold Figaro bracelet (for him)
A Prouds 9ct gold Figaro bracelet has a regular price of about $349 and is often discounted; a simple gold chain suits him as well as her.
Custom family tree artwork
Acorn Family Trees in Perth creates custom family tree artwork from about $235, with room for every branch the marriage has grown.
In-home family portrait
Book a photographer to come to them, and photograph the couple holding the newest baby in the family.
Sydney Harbour lunch cruise for two
RedBalloon's harbour cruise with a three-course lunch for two is about $258, seated and unhurried, for a couple who still enjoy a day on the water. Check boarding access before booking.
Quick picks by recipient
For her
- Gold-ribbon letters (for her, for him)
- Diamond studs (for her)
For him
- Gold-ribbon letters (for her, for him)
- Gold Figaro bracelet (for him)
For the couple
- Newspaper from the wedding year
- Personalised 75th wall clock
- Afternoon tea for two
For parents
- Newspaper from the wedding year
- Seventy-five photos, one per year
- A4 family tree print
What to write in the card
- Seventy-five years together. We are so proud to belong to you both. Happy anniversary.
- To my darling: three quarters of a century, and you are still the best thing that ever happened to me.
- Happy 75th! Thank you for every Sunday lunch, every lift to school and every second chance you gave us.
- Diamond and gold suit you both, but the real riches are the family you made. Happy 75th anniversary.
- From the youngest of your great-grandchildren, with love: seventy-five years of you two made all of us possible.
More wording by recipient and milestone is in our anniversary messages and wishes.
What to avoid
- Gifts that need travel to enjoy, such as interstate trips or long tours, unless the couple raises the idea themselves.
- Heavy, sharp-edged or fiddly items that are hard to lift, open or use with stiff hands; choose things that are light and simple to handle.
- Diamond jewellery bought without first checking ring sizes, clasps and whether they still wear jewellery at all.
- A long party that leaves the couple exhausted; two hours with the people they love beats a whole day with everyone they know.
Ways to celebrate
- Hold a family lunch where each table stands for a decade of the marriage, decorated with photos from those years.
- Record the couple telling their wedding story a week ahead, then play it at the party so they do not have to perform on the day.
- Present the family tree or portrait at a short ceremony, with a toast from the eldest child and the youngest grandchild.
- Frame the messages from the King and the Governor-General with a gold mount, ready to hang beside the wedding photo.
- If the couple lives in aged care, ask the residence whether a private room can be booked so the family can celebrate there.
Official congratulations for the 75th
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.
75th anniversary questions
Diamond, and some lists give diamond and gold together. The Wikipedia anniversary list pairs the two, while Hallmark names diamond alone. None of the Australian retailer lists we checked reaches the 75th.
A diamond set in gold covers both readings of the list, and so does a gold-framed family portrait for a family that would rather not buy jewellery.
No established modern gift exists for the 75th. Families can follow the diamond and gold theme, or choose memory gifts such as photo books and framed family trees.
Both carry diamond as the gift. Most Australian lists give diamond for the 60th, and that is the year most people mean when they say diamond. According to Hallmark, the 75th held the diamond name first, and the 60th picked it up after Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
Yes. The King sends messages for the 60th, the 65th, the 70th and every anniversary after that, but only on request. Australians apply to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) rather than Buckingham Palace, and the one application also brings letters from the Governor-General and the Prime Minister.
Apply online, by email, by post or through a federal or state MP, ideally two to three months before the date. Include a copy of the marriage certificate or a statutory declaration with the couple's full names and wedding date.
Time and memory. An in-home portrait with the whole family, a photo book covering seventy-five years, or an afternoon tea close to home will mean more than another object on the shelf. If relatives want to give something lasting, pool the money for one piece of diamond or gold jewellery.
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.