The Porcelain Anniversary: China Jewelry Ideas for 18 Years of Marriage
Porcelain is the traditional and modern gift for an 18th wedding anniversary. At eclectiQuas, handcrafted jewelry using vintage china or porcelain, also known as broken china jewelry or porcelain jewelry, fits that tradition closely, since it is made from real porcelain and bone china, cut and shaped into something she can wear rather than a plate that stays in a cabinet.
A Blue Willow Love Birds Necklace shown in eclectiQuas packaging including a photo of the china from which the jewelry originated (left). Lomonosov porcelain necklaces in the Cobalt Net pattern, handmade with gold plated sterling silver pendant settings.
What Porcelain Anniversary Means
Porcelain has been the 18th anniversary's theme since 1937, when the American National Retail Jeweler Association, now known as Jewelers of America, published a modern gift guide covering every year of marriage up to the 20th anniversary and the traditional gift theme associated with each one. The idea behind it is simple: porcelain is elegant but delicate, and giving it is a small reminder to keep handling the relationship with care. Most 18th anniversary gift guides interpret that literally, pointing toward a new porcelain vase or a set of candle holders. Those pieces match the material the tradition calls for, but they are brand new, with no history behind them. A necklace made from an actual piece of vintage or antique china satisfies the same tradition and carries a story a new piece cannot.
| Anniversary | Traditional Gift |
|---|---|
| 1st | Paper |
| 2nd | Cotton |
| 3rd | Leather |
| 4th | Fruit / Flowers |
| 5th | Wood |
| 6th | Candy / Iron |
| 7th | Wool / Copper |
| 8th | Bronze / Pottery |
| 9th | Willow / Pottery |
| 10th | Tin / Aluminum |
| 11th | Steel |
| 12th | Silk / Linen |
| 13th | Lace |
| 14th | Ivory |
| Anniversary | Traditional Gift |
|---|---|
| 15th | Crystal |
| 16th | Silver Hollowware |
| 17th | Furniture |
| 18th | Porcelain |
| 19th | Bronze |
| 20th | China |
| 25th | Silver |
| 30th | Pearl |
| 35th | Coral |
| 40th | Ruby |
| 45th | Sapphire |
| 50th | Gold |
| 55th | Emerald |
| 60th | Diamond |
Your China, or a New Pattern
For the 18th anniversary, there are two ways to choose a piece: work with china she already has, or choose a pattern made for the occasion. If she has a set from her own wedding, her mother's china, or an heirloom family china piece she has been holding onto for years, that plate can become a custom piece made from her own china. If there is no family china to work with, eclectiQuas carries a selection of vintage china patterns, including several with a history of being given for this exact anniversary.
A custom oval necklace and ring jewelry set, cut and shaped from a plate a customer sent in, and then set into sterling silver settings.
A Necklace From Her Own China
At eclectiQuas, custom china jewelry is handmade from a plate, saucer, or teacup that a customer provides. Using a piece of china with real meaning behind it, whether it is from her own wedding registry, a parent's set, or a piece passed down through the family, makes the finished necklace more personal and sentimental, since it carries a specific memory alongside the anniversary tradition. Send in the china along with a description of what you have in mind, and the finished necklace, in sterling silver or gold-plated sterling silver, typically ships in 10 to 12 business days.
When There's No Family China
Not every couple has porcelain on hand, but eclectiQuas has a collection of existing porcelain jewelry options to choose from. One example is the Blue Willow Love Birds Necklace. The design draws on the legendary story of Blue Willow china, in which two forbidden lovers were transformed into a pair of turtle doves so they could stay together, and that pair of birds in flight remains the emotional center of the pattern, a fitting image for marking eighteen years together.
Beyond Blue Willow
Blue Willow isn't the only pattern worth considering, and the right one really comes down to her taste. Forget Me Not Jewelry leans on the flower's own meaning rather than a plate pattern. Forget-me-nots have stood for true love, faithfulness, and remembrance since the Victorian era, which gives the piece a romantic message of its own: eighteen years, and never forgotten.
For something bolder and more contemporary, Royal Crown Derby Imari earrings bring rich red, blue, and gold into the piece, a good match for a wife who already leans toward statement jewelry rather than something delicate. The Asanoha Star Porcelain Necklace takes a different route again, built from a geometric Japanese pattern instead of a floral one, for a piece that reads more modern than traditional.
A Royal Albert Forget Me Not china jewelry set (left), and two dainty Paragon Forget Me Not china pendants with sterling silver cross charms both on sterling silver chains.
Upcycled porcelain earrings made from Royal Crown Derby Imari china (left) and Japanese Arita porcelain (right).
Choosing Metal and Chain Length
Neither metal nor chain length is dictated by the tradition, but both change how a piece feels. Gold-plated sterling silver reads a little warmer, while plain sterling silver is the more classic option and sits well against most china patterns. On length, a 16 inch chain sits close to the collarbone, 18 inches is the option most people default to, and 20 inches sits lower and layers more easily if she tends to wear more than one necklace at a time.
Marking Eighteen Years of Marriage
Whether it comes from china she already owns or a pattern chosen for the occasion, a piece of vintage china jewelry marks the porcelain anniversary with something unique and unexpected, memorable and personal. Shop now at eclectiQuas.com.
