Twenty-five years of marriage is when it can start to get serious - especially for anyone looking to buy an anniversary present. It is, after all, first appearance of a precious metal in the roll call of traditional gifts. But is it essential that a silver anniversary present carries a hallmark? Of course not!

Jewellery, dinner services, cutlery, ornaments and keepsakes were always the traditional 25th anniversary gifts - invariably either made of silver or silver plated. This reward for the quarter century has no doubt been appreciated down the years, but silver goes in and out of fashion and if we're honest, many of the gifts are not the most practical around - and may not always sit comfortably with their self-assembled pine lounge unit.

So we have three ideas to play with: silver the metal, silver the colour and the twenty-five year theme. Once you know which route to take and what your budget is, each can be used as the basis of a fabulous gift that will still be fondly remembered when they're approaching their golden anniversary.

Let's start with silver. As a precious metal it's obviously going to be expensive in its solid form, but there's no reason why something silver plated can't be given. At the very least, you'll know they won't melt it down or pawn it - a key consideration with some couples. Silver-plated champagne flutes and picture frames will always go down well. They have the unmistakeable air of celebration about them and will be used for decades to come. It's normal to place a humorous photo of the couple in the frame, but it's not advisable to pre-fill the flutes, especially if you're wrapping them.

Now we move on to silver the colour. Most metals have a silver hue to them, but chrome and palladium make particularly good substitutes. Articles plated with these metals will still count as silver anniversary gifts, but will probably cost a little less than their sterling equivalents. You can really let your imagination run wild with this colour in mind, as more or less anything reflective, like a mirror, will pass the silver test. And make sure you get silver wrapping paper and ribbon, too.

Since it's 25th anniversary gifts you're after, why not step back in time twenty-five years? You don't need to reference silver at all! You can order a newspaper from the day of the wedding, get a CD of hits from that year or even go for a 25-year-old malt whiskey.

All in all, the silver anniversary can open up a host of gift ideas. There really only need to be one hallmark involved - the hallmark of a successful marriage. And twenty-five years is certainly that!

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