FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Anniversary Gifts, Belt Buckles, Jewelry and More

arnet. The traditional 2nd anniversary gemstone is garnet, which signifies protection, friendship, and commitment. We carry garnet jewelry as part of our anniversary gift collection.

Leather. The traditional 3rd anniversary material is leather. We make handmade leather belts in our Seattle studio, in dark brown or black, from heavy domestic strap stock. They pair with any of our belt buckles and are built to last, not mass-produced accessories.

Iron. The traditional 6th anniversary material is iron, and the gemstone is amethyst. Our 6th anniversary collection includes hand-forged iron jewelry, pendants, earrings, and necklaces, and custom engraved iron belt buckles. Iron represents strength and perseverance, which is why it marks six years.

Copper. The traditional 7th anniversary material is copper. Copper is associated with Venus, both the planet and the goddess, and embodies love and balance. It has a warm reddish tone that is distinctly its own, and it develops a beautiful patina over time. We make custom engraved copper belt buckles for the 7th anniversary, personalized with a wedding date or meaningful location.

Bronze. The traditional 8th anniversary material is bronze, and the gemstone is tourmaline. Bronze is an alloy made primarily from copper, and it takes everything warm and beautiful about copper and adds exceptional durability and engraving detail. The result is one of the most satisfying metals to work with and to wear. Our bronze belt buckles and jewelry are among our most popular pieces for good reason. Bronze develops a rich, deep patina over time that only improves with age. The 19th anniversary is also traditionally bronze.

Steel. The traditional 11th anniversary material is stainless steel, and the gemstones are citrine and turquoise. We make stainless steel belt buckles and jewelry for this milestone.

Bronze. The 19th anniversary follows the bronze tradition, the same material as the 8th. A custom bronze belt buckle engraved with a meaningful location or date is a popular choice for this milestone, as well as a piece from our extensive bronze jewelry options.

Each material has a distinct look and feel. Iron is dark and industrial, with a raw character that develops with age, traditional for the 6th anniversary. Copper is warm and reddish, associated with love and balance, with a tone that is distinctly its own, traditional for the 7th. Bronze is an alloy made primarily from copper, and brings that warmth together with exceptional durability and engraving detail, traditional for the 8th and 19th. Stainless steel is bright, modern, and highly durable, traditional for the 11th. The right choice usually depends on which anniversary milestone you're marking, or the look you're after.

Solid. Our iron pieces are solid iron, bronze pieces are solid bronze, copper pieces are solid copper, and steel pieces are solid stainless steel. We don't use plated metals.

All of our work is built to last a lifetime, with basic care. Iron needs occasional waxing to prevent surface rust. Bronze and copper develop a natural patina over time, which most people consider part of the character of the piece. Stainless steel requires almost no maintenance. All of our pieces are made to heirloom quality, meant to be kept and passed down, not discarded. See the Product Care section below for specifics by metal.

We make several styles of anniversary belt buckles: date buckles engraved with your wedding date, tally mark buckles marking the number of years, roman numeral buckles showing the year in roman numerals, and custom map buckles engraved with a location that means something to you, where you met, got married, or honeymooned. All are hand-forged in our Seattle studio and available in iron, copper, bronze, or stainless steel depending on the anniversary year.

Custom map buckles are belt buckles engraved with a real geographic location of your choosing, a city, a coastline, a river, a lake, an island, or any place that carries meaning. Popular uses include anniversary gifts, wedding gifts, wedding party gifts, and retirement gifts. We generate the map from real geographic data, develop the design to work at buckle scale, and send a digital proof for your approval before we make anything.

Most of our buckles measure 1.5 by 3 inches and use a standard 1.5-inch strap width, which fits the majority of belts. If you're ordering a leather belt from us alongside the buckle, sizing is handled at checkout. If you're fitting an existing belt, check the strap width before ordering.

Yes. Custom logo belt buckles are a popular choice for recognizing milestones and achievements. Common uses include golf tournament prizes, fishing and ski trip awards, foreman of the year recognition, retirement gifts, holiday gifts for high-achievers, and branded corporate gifts. We work from your logo, artwork, or idea, and you don't need finished design files to get started. Buckles are available in bronze, copper, or stainless steel, measure 1.5 by 3 inches for standard orders, and fit standard belts. Alternate sizes are available on custom bulk orders and worked out on a case by case basis. Bulk and team orders are welcome.

We make hand-forged jewelry in iron, bronze, copper, and stainless steel. Our pieces include pendants, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, designed as meaningful anniversary gifts and made to last. Styles include iron twists and knots, bronze knots and twists, and our newest collection, the Charmed Hearts Collection, heart lock necklaces and key bracelets in stainless steel, engraved with an initial. Most pieces are designed around the traditional anniversary materials, but work equally well as birthday or milestone gifts.

Yes. Our jewelry and custom belt buckles work well for retirements, golf tournament prizes, fishing and ski trip awards, foreman of the year recognition, wedding party gifts, and corporate milestones. The material doesn't limit the occasion.

Iron ships from our studio with a wax coating or clear coat already applied. Store your jewelry piece somewhere dry, in a box or zip bag, and not in the bathroom. If tarnish develops, buff it off completely with steel wool or a plain scouring pad, then reapply wax to the cleaned area. Any paste wax works: furniture wax, beeswax, microcrystalline wax, or beeswax lip balm in a pinch. Natural skin oils help protect iron jewelry, which is why jewelry pieces tend to hold their finish well. Avoid spraying perfume, hairspray, or skin products directly on the piece, and don't swim in iron jewelry. If you live in a coastal or warm climate, stay on top of waxing. The finish will shift with wear over time, that's the nature of the metal, not a flaw. If your piece was in an unusual situation and you'd like it looked at or refinished, reach out and we'll talk through your options. Full care instructions at steeltoestudios.com/pages/product-care.

Store your bronze or copper piece in a dry box or bag, away from the bathroom. Both metals develop a natural patina over time, which most people consider part of the character of the piece. Natural skin oils help protect the metal during regular wear. If you want to restore a brighter finish, polish with a sunshine cloth available at any jewelry store, or use a small amount of plain toothpaste to clean the surface, then rinse and dry. Only use the toothpaste method if you want a bright finish, as it may remove any intentional darkened finish. Avoid spraying perfume or skin products directly on the piece. If your piece was in an unusual situation and you'd like it refinished, reach out and we'll talk through your options. Full care instructions at steeltoestudios.com/pages/product-care.

Stainless steel is the most low-maintenance of our metals. It doesn't rust or tarnish under normal conditions. Polish with a soft cloth as needed. Avoid spraying perfume or chemical products directly on the piece and store it dry. Full care instructions at steeltoestudios.com/pages/product-care.

We make pieces designed to last, heirloom quality, not disposable fashion. We reduce waste in our studio practice, pay good wages, and mentor emerging makers in metalsmithing and small business. Every piece is made by hand in our Seattle studio from solid metals. We don't use plated metals or mass-produced components.

You place an order and include your details, a location, logo, date, or idea, in the order notes. We send a digital design preview within 48 hours for your approval. Nothing gets engraved until you sign off on the design. Custom orders typically take up to 14 days from order to shipment.

No. We work from photos, logos, maps, rough sketches, written descriptions, and ideas. If you have a concept but no file, reach out and we'll figure out what we need from you. We do require that you own the rights to any logo or artwork submitted.

If you're cutting it close, reach out directly before placing your order and we'll do our best to get your piece there in time for your celebration. We always try to accommodate time-sensitive requests.

Yes. We make handmade leather belts entirely in our Seattle studio, in dark brown or black, at a standard 1.5-inch width. We use heavy leather strap stock, 9 to 10 ounce weight, sourced domestically from suppliers focused on sustainable and responsible sourcing. The leather is typically vegetable tanned. These are heirloom-quality belts built to last, not mass-produced accessories. They are available on their own or paired with any of our belt buckles.

Yes. We offer free size exchanges on leather belts, provided the belt shows no signs of wear. We'll send the new size and include a return label for the exchange.

We gladly accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, ApplePay, Google pay or regular account payments through PayPal.

Jewelry typically ships within 2 business days. Belt buckles ship within 3 to 5 business days. Custom belt buckles may take up to 14 days, we will keep you well informed on process and timing. If your anniversary is coming up and you're cutting it close, reach out directly and we'll do our best to get your piece there in time for your celebration.

We ship USPS First Class Mail free of charge within the domestic United States (5-7 days). You can upgrade to USPS Priority (2 to 5 days), USPS Express (2-3 days), or FedEx at checkout (2-3 days).

Every jewelry order arrives in a black jewelry box with a hand-tied satin ribbon. Every belt and buckle order arrives carefully wrapped in tissue and linen bags, ready to give. All pieces ship with a care card with details about your piece and how to care for it. Visit our product care guide for more information.

Seattle, WA, United States

• Yes!
• For orders to Canada we use USPS priority international mail, (7-10 days) and you can upgrade to USPS express if you prefer.
• You must provide a phone number for customs.
• You are responsible for any taxes/duties required upon receipt of shipment.  We cannot provide this cost info as it differs in every country/county/tax municipality.
• If you would like to use your own shipping account please indicate in your checkout note to seller so we can coordinate.

• Yes we do!
• For orders to other countries we offer fedex, ups, dhl through a shipping system called parcel monkey. These are priced per address/order and we charge a flat fee that we then refund you any savings we can achieve. Please contact us with your shipping address if you would like an estimate for shipping cost before you place your order and we will be glad to get you the info.
• We need you to provide a telephone number for shipping and customs.
• You are responsible for any taxes/duties required upon receipt, and we cannot provide this cost info as it differs in every country/county/tax municipality.

• No problem, we will exchange your strap for a different size, provided the strap shows no signs of wear and tear. (just hold it up around your waist without hooking the buckle if you aren’t sure)
• We will ship you the new size with a return label for the exchange.
• As a micro business, we appreciate you using the sizing chart and info to try and get the size accurate upon ordering.

We accept exchanges with the following guidelines:

• Contact me within: 7 days of delivery
• Ship items back with exchange requests within: 14 days of delivery

We accept returns on jewelry within 14 days of receipt and in some scenarios need to charge a 10% restocking fee to cover our shipping and labor costs

We accept returns on non-custom belt buckles if you contact us within 7 days of delivery and ship the item back within 14 days of delivery.

We cannot accept returns on custom belt buckles. However we work with you through the process of creating your custom map or logo belt buckle and get the design and layout approved before we create the piece. This way we ensure that everyone will be pleased with the final item.

Every piece is made by hand in our studio in Seattle, Washington by our small team. Steel Toe Studios was founded by Erica Gordon in 2003, and we have been at it for over 23 years. We pay living wages, mentor emerging makers in metal smithing and small business, and actively work to reduce waste in our studio practice. Erica has taught at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine, and has exhibited and sold work internationally, including in London (2008) and Copenhagen (2010), as well as in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Baltimore, Seattle, Denver, Portland and destination towns like Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, and Crested Butte.

Yes. Steel Toe Studios has been featured in Brides, The Knot, Cosmopolitan, American Craft Council, Seattle Refined, The Seattle Times, and Seattle Met, among others.