What is the traditional gift for 23 years of marriage?

The traditional 23rd anniversary gift is silver plate — a base metal coated with a fine layer of silver. It offers the look of solid silver at a more affordable price and appears on both the UK and modern lists.

What is the stone for 23 years of marriage?

The gemstone for the 23rd anniversary is imperial topaz, a warm orange-pink stone. Some lists also suggest sapphire, while the European tradition favours beryl, so you have a few options.

What is the colour for a 23 year anniversary?

The colour for the 23rd wedding anniversary is silver, matching the silver-plate material. It makes an easy, elegant theme for cards, wrapping and decorations.

Is there a flower for the 23rd wedding anniversary?

There is no single, widely recognised flower for the 23rd anniversary. Many couples simply choose their favourite blooms, or pick silver-toned or white flowers to match the anniversary colour.

What is the modern 23rd anniversary gift?

The modern lists also point to silver plate for the 23rd year, keeping it consistent with the traditional choice. Some American lists additionally mention air travel as a contemporary experience gift idea.

What Is the 23rd Wedding Anniversary?

In the UK, the 23rd wedding anniversary is traditionally marked with silver plate — a hard-wearing yet lustrous material that quietly nods towards the silver milestone now just two years away. The associated gemstone is imperial topaz and the anniversary colour is silver. Reaching twenty-three years together is a quietly remarkable achievement, and this guide explains the materials, meanings and gift ideas behind it.

What is the traditional gift for the 23rd wedding anniversary?

The traditional 23rd wedding anniversary gift is silver plate. Silver-plated items are made from a base metal such as copper, brass or nickel that has been coated with a fine layer of silver, giving the beauty of solid silver at a far gentler price. Both the UK list and the modern American list agree on silver plate for the twenty-third year, so you can choose it with confidence.

There is a lovely symbolism here too. Silver plate carries the shine and elegance of silver without being the real thing just yet — a fitting reflection of a marriage that has the brilliance of a milestone in sight. Polished silver-plated keepsakes, photo frames, trinket dishes and engraved pieces all make thoughtful choices. You will find plenty of ideas in our 23rd wedding anniversary gifts collection.

The 23rd anniversary gemstone: imperial topaz

The gemstone most often linked with the 23rd anniversary is imperial topaz, a warm orange-to-pink stone prized for its glow and rarity. Some modern lists also name sapphire, while the European tradition favours beryl, so there is room to pick whichever speaks to you and your partner.

Topaz has long been associated with affection, loyalty and warmth — qualities that sit naturally alongside twenty-three years of marriage. A piece of imperial topaz jewellery, whether a pendant, a pair of earrings or cufflinks, turns the anniversary stone into a keepsake that can be worn and treasured for years to come.

What colour represents the 23rd anniversary?

The colour of the 23rd wedding anniversary is silver, echoing the silver-plate material. It is an easy theme to weave through a celebration: silver-toned wrapping paper, a silver-edged card, metallic table decorations or a few silver balloons all help mark the occasion.

If you are planning a meal out or a small party, silver gives you a simple, elegant palette to build around without anything feeling fussy. It also pairs beautifully with the soft warmth of imperial topaz, should you choose to bring the anniversary gemstone into your gift.

Why the 23rd anniversary sits between two milestones

Before the 1930s, only the first anniversary and the major milestones — such as the 5th, 10th, 20th, 25th and 50th — had a material attached to them. The familiar year-by-year lists grew gradually as etiquette guides and jewellers filled in the gaps, which is why some of the in-between years, including the 23rd, were assigned their materials more recently.

In the traditional UK list the years run from China for the 20th straight to Silver for the 25th, leaving the 23rd without an older material of its own. Silver plate was a natural modern choice: it gently anticipates the silver milestone ahead while still being its own distinct, attainable material. You can see how every year fits together in our full traditional and modern anniversary gift list and our handy anniversary gifts by year guide.

23rd wedding anniversary gift ideas

The happiest gifts usually bring together the material, the meaning and the person. A polished silver-plate piece makes an obvious starting point, while imperial topaz jewellery offers a more sparkling alternative. For something with a personal touch, a personalised anniversary gift that adds names, a date or a short message turns a simple keepsake into something irreplaceable.

A few favourites for the twenty-third year include a 23rd anniversary forever rose with a wooden token and a personalised 23rd anniversary glass trophy for a husband or wife. Whatever you choose, a thoughtful nod to silver plate or topaz shows you have marked the year with real care.

FAQs

What is the traditional gift for 23 years of marriage?: The traditional 23rd anniversary gift is silver plate — a base metal coated with a fine layer of silver. It offers the look of solid silver at a more affordable price and appears on both the UK and modern lists.
What is the 23rd wedding anniversary in the UK?: In the UK the 23rd wedding anniversary is associated with silver plate as its material, imperial topaz as its gemstone, and silver as its colour. It is one of the years that bridges the gap towards the silver milestone at 25 years.
What is the stone for 23 years of marriage?: The gemstone for the 23rd anniversary is imperial topaz, a warm orange-pink stone. Some lists also suggest sapphire, while the European tradition favours beryl, so you have a few options.
What is the colour for a 23 year anniversary?: The colour for the 23rd wedding anniversary is silver, matching the silver-plate material. It makes an easy, elegant theme for cards, wrapping and decorations.
Is there a flower for the 23rd wedding anniversary?: There is no single, widely recognised flower for the 23rd anniversary. Many couples simply choose their favourite blooms, or pick silver-toned or white flowers to match the anniversary colour.
What is the modern 23rd anniversary gift?: The modern lists also point to silver plate for the 23rd year, keeping it consistent with the traditional choice. Some American lists additionally mention air travel as a contemporary experience gift idea.