Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue: Meaning and Jewelry Ideas

If you are planning a wedding or helping someone who is, the rhyme is a charming checklist and an easy way to include family. This guide covers what each line means according to the sources we read, where those sources differ, who traditionally supplies each item, and jewelry ideas for all four. For the rest of the look, our wedding day jewelry for the bride guide covers what to wear from earrings to necklace.

What Is the Meaning of Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue?

The rhyme is a luck charm for the bride, and each of its four items carries a separate meaning. Two wedding venue blogs and a reference encyclopedia, read for this page, give broadly the same reading, with small differences in wording.

The full rhyme has a fifth line in the oldest versions: "and a sixpence in her shoe." The encyclopedia describes the sixpence as a Victorian addition for prosperity or protection from jealous suitors, and a venue blog says it now symbolizes lasting wealth. It is rarely followed today.

Where Does the Tradition Come From?

It comes from Victorian England, and the earliest records are from the 1870s. A reference encyclopedia says the first recorded version, "something new, something borrowed, something blue," appeared in a magazine in 1871, and that the complete rhyme appeared in an 1876 newspaper account of a Lancashire wedding custom. Two venue blogs also place it in the Victorian era. The same encyclopedia notes regional variants: one Leicestershire version leaves out something old, and some folklore actually warned against blue at weddings before "true blue" made the color lucky. We found no reliable source for a much older origin, so we do not claim one.

Who Gives the Bride Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue?

Family and friends traditionally supply the items, and none of the sources we read sets a formal rule. A venue blog says the borrowed item should come from "an already married family member or a friend" who is happily married. The encyclopedia says family and friends are the usual providers without fixing who gives which. One simple way to split it, and our suggestion rather than a rule: a relative lends the old item, a happily married friend lends the borrowed one, the bride buys the new one, and anyone can supply the blue.

Something Old: Jewelry Ideas

The best "something old" jewelry is a piece with a family story, and AJLuxe cannot sell you one, because everything we make is new. Ask your mother, grandmother or an aunt whether there is an earring pair, a ring or a locket you could wear or pin inside your dress. If nothing is available, an older piece from a second-hand shop works just as well, and so does a brooch from the family attached to your bouquet. Our how to choose wedding jewelry guide helps you decide whether an inherited piece suits your dress.

Something New: Jewelry Ideas

Almost any piece of jewelry bought for the wedding counts as something new, and these are the AJLuxe pieces that make honest sense. Check each product page for current stock, as the catalog is small.

More ideas live in our bridal jewelry set guide and the wedding jewelry collection.

Something Borrowed: Jewelry Ideas

A borrowed earring pair or bracelet from a happily married friend is the classic jewelry version. A venue blog lists earrings as a typical borrowed item. Return it with a thank-you note, and decide who keeps track of it during the day. If you do not have a lender, borrow a veil, a handkerchief or a hair comb.

Something Blue: Jewelry Ideas

The easiest blue is a blue stone, and each of these AJLuxe pieces uses a simulated stone, which the product pages say plainly. None is a natural gemstone.

• March Aquamarine-Blue Infinity Necklace ($59.99): 925 sterling silver chain, aquamarine-blue cubic zirconia, a simulated stone rather than natural aquamarine.
• September Sapphire-Blue Infinity Necklace ($59.99): 925 sterling silver with rhodium plating, blue lab-created cubic zirconia pave and a clear center stone. Not a mined sapphire.
• Blue Teardrop Pendant Necklace ($34.99): 925 sterling silver base with 18K gold plating and a blue cubic zirconia stone.

Blue does not have to be a stone. A blue ribbon tied around the bouquet stem, blue stitching inside the dress or a blue garter all count. For the stone and shade differences, see our light blue gemstone guide, and for a pearl alternative to blue see pearl necklaces for weddings.

Gift Ideas: Giving Someone the Set

If you are the maid of honor, a groom or a friend, a small "old, new, borrowed and blue" gift is a thoughtful way to join in. Our gift for the bride from the maid of honor, gift for the bride from the groom and bride-to-be gift jewelry pages have more ideas. The gifts for maid of honor guide covers the other direction.

Do You Have to Follow It?

No, and many couples treat it as a nod to the past and not a plan. None of the sources we read describes it as required. You can cover only one or two lines, include family in your own way, or swap in a tradition from your own culture. It is a light-hearted custom and the point is the people who lend and give.

Returns and Final Sale

AJLuxe's return and exchange page lists 30 days for unworn items in original packaging, with the customer paying the return label, and lists personalized and initial pieces as final sale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the meaning of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?

It is a Victorian English wedding rhyme for bridal good luck. Old stands for ties to the past and family, new for the future, borrowed for the good fortune of a happily married lender, and blue for love, purity and faithfulness.

What are the four things a bride needs?

The rhyme names something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The oldest versions add a sixpence in her shoe. No one requires any of them.

What do brides use as something borrowed?

Common choices are a veil, earrings or a garter. A venue blog lists those three, and a happily married friend or relative is the traditional lender. Return it with a thank-you note.

Who gives the bride something old, new, borrowed and blue?

Family and friends traditionally supply them, and the sources we read set no formal rule. The borrowed item usually comes from a happily married friend or relative, and the bride often buys the new item herself.

Where does the tradition come from?

It comes from Victorian England. A reference encyclopedia says the first recorded version appeared in a magazine in 1871 and the full rhyme in a Lancashire newspaper report in 1876. We found no reliable source for an older origin.

Can jewelry be something old, new, borrowed or blue?

Yes, jewelry can cover all four. An heirloom is old, a piece bought for the wedding is new, a friend's earrings are borrowed, and a blue stone is blue. AJLuxe sells new pieces only, and its blue stones are simulated, not natural gemstones.

Do I have to include all four?

No. The sources describe it as a custom, not a requirement, and many couples include only one or two or add their own tradition.

Sources

Meanings, dates and examples come from a reference encyclopedia article on the tradition and two wedding venue blogs, all read on 5 October 2026. Where a blog and the encyclopedia differ, we say so. Product details and return terms come from ajluxe.com.

Written by AJLuxe Team. Last updated: October 2026

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