Milestone Birthday Gifts for Every Decade

Some birthdays deserve more than a card. The big ones – 30, 40, 50, 60 and beyond – call for a gift that marks the moment and stays on display long after the party. Here are our milestone birthday gift ideas for every decade, from crystal for the celebration to keepsakes for the shelf.

30th Birthday: Something to Celebrate With

At thirty, most people are setting up a home of their own, and a beautiful set of glasses gets used at every party that follows.

L'Objet Prism Champagne Flutes, Amber, Set of 4

A set of four amber champagne flutes from L'Objet, the luxury house crafting refined objects for the home with master artisans.

Lalique 100 POINTS Champagne Coupe

A crystal coupe made in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace – for the birthday toast and every one after it. More in champagne glasses.

40th Birthday: A Bar-Cart Centerpiece

Forty is the age of the well-stocked bar cart. A crystal decanter is a gift that is used, admired and eventually handed down. See all decanters.

William Yeoward Merle Square Decanter, Gift-Boxed

Handmade crystal with faceted cutting on both the decanter and the stopper, delivered in a specially made luxury gift box.

Lalique Owl Decanter

A crystal wine decanter from Lalique's manufactory in Alsace – a playful choice for the wine lover turning forty.

50th Birthday: Gold

Fifty years is traditionally marked with gold, so look for it: a gilded pen, a golden frame or a piece with 24k gold accents.

Caran d'Ache Ecridor Chevron Roller Pen, Gilded

Made in Caran d'Ache's Geneva workshops under the Swiss Made label and assembled by hand. The hexagonal Ecridor has been the Maison's emblem since the 1930s, engraved with the Chevron guilloche.

Herend Heart of Gold Figurine

A hand-painted porcelain heart with 24k gold accents, in blue, key lime, raspberry or rust fishnet – for the friend whose heart really is gold.

60th Birthday: A Frame for the Family

By sixty, the best gift is often the people around them. A beautiful frame for a family photo becomes the piece they show every visitor. See all picture frames.

Michael Aram Love Knot Frame

A handcrafted metal frame from the Michael Aram workshops, in gold or silver.

Choose the finish to match their home – gold for warm, traditional rooms, silver for cooler, modern ones – and add the photo before you wrap it.

70th, 80th and Beyond: Keepsakes

For the decades when there is truly nothing they need, choose something small and beautiful that holds a memory – a porcelain box for a note from the grandchildren, or a jeweled box for the dresser.

Herend Rothschild Bird Square Box

A 2.25 in porcelain box hand-painted in Herend's Rothschild Bird pattern with 24k gold accents. More in Herend boxes.

Jay Strongwater Emma Mini Heart Box

A jeweled heart box from Jay Strongwater, the American atelier renowned for jewel-encrusted objets d'art – each piece is hand-enamelled and hand-set with crystals.

Tips for Milestone Birthday Gifts

• Tie it to the number. Gold for fifty, a set of four for a thirtieth with friends – a small detail makes it personal.
• Add a note inside. A porcelain box is the perfect place to tuck a handwritten card.
• Go in together. For the big decades, family members often pool for one special piece rather than several small ones.

Save your favorites: open any piece and tap the ♡ to add it to your Wishlist, then share it with the family so the gift is a surprise, not a duplicate.

Find more ideas in gifts for her & him and anniversary gifts.