7th Anniversary Gift Ideas: Copper Gifts They'll Actually Keep

Seven years in, you've earned an anniversary with some character. The traditional 7th anniversary gift is copper, and unlike a lot of the traditional materials (year four is "fruit and flowers," good luck with that), copper actually makes for a gift worth keeping.

Why is the 7th anniversary copper?

Copper conducts heat and energy better than almost any other metal. The old symbolism says that by year seven, a couple generates their own warmth. There's a better reason though. Copper is a living metal. It doesn't stay factory shiny. It deepens, darkens and picks up a patina shaped by every hand that touches it. No two pieces age alike. Seven years of marriage looks a lot like that.

(If someone gives you a copper skillet, they read the same chart. It's a fine gift. It's not a keepsake.)

Copper gift ideas for the 7th anniversary

1. A tally mark bookmark

Our copper tally mark bookmark pairs seven tally marks with the words "To be continued..." because seven years is a chapter, not the whole story. It lives inside whatever they're reading, so they'll see it every night.

2. A wallet card with your own words

The copper wallet card is a blank canvas. Both sides get engraved with whatever you want to say. A line from your vows, the coordinates of your first apartment, or simply "seven down, forever to go."

3. A money clip with seven tallies

The copper 7 year tally money clip is the rare anniversary gift he'll use before breakfast the next day. Prefer initials? The monogrammed copper money clip keeps it classic.

4. A tally mark keychain

Seven tally marks in copper, carried in a pocket every day. The copper tally mark keychain can be engraved on the back with a date, a nickname or an inside joke.

What to engrave for a 7th anniversary

• Seven tally marks (let the count speak for itself)
• Your wedding date in Roman numerals
• "Seven years of us"
• "Still my favorite. Year 7"
• The place it all started: a city, a bar, a song title

A note on the patina

Copper darkens with age and touch. That's the point, not a flaw. If you ever want the bright finish back, a minute with lemon and salt brings it right back (we wrote a full copper and brass care guide). Most couples just let it age. It wears the years well. So do you.

Every piece is hand-engraved to order in our Fort Collins, Colorado studio and ships in 1 to 2 business days. Browse all our anniversary gifts, or check the full traditional anniversary gifts by year chart to plan ahead.