A loved one's 70th birthday provides a memorable opportunity to celebrate with family and friends, and to create more fond memories while reflecting on the good times of the past. If you're organizing a 70th birthday party for a parent or grandparent, creative centerpieces can serve as a conversation piece for the party--and another way to celebrate your loved one.

Create a centerpiece that features the gemstone and flower for the guest of honor. If your mother or grandmother was born in June, for example, a combination of pearls and roses will make an attractive centerpiece. Red roses symbolize eternal love, and dark pink roses show gratitude and appreciation. Incorporate large synthetic pearls by dropping them into a clear glass vase and placing the flowers in the vase. For a celebration for someone born in April, the sweet pea or daisy takes center stage; to add sparkle to synthetic flowers, hot-glue synthetic diamonds--April's birthstone--to the petals.

A centerpiece that features the guest of honor's favorite fruits can be attractive, and will keep the guests occupied until the main course is served. Arrange skewered sliced apples dipped in caramel or a cinnamon and sugar mix on gold or silver trays, or add a large bowl filled with grapes and berries and garnished with flowers in the same color scheme, such as red carnations or purple orchids. The guest of honor may get nostalgic if you create a centerpiece of some of the candies that the birthday 'boy' or 'girl' used to eat as a child. Fill a glass bowl with an assortment of candies, and tie a ribbon around the bowl; or line a basket with paper in the color scheme of the party and fill it with candy. Treats like Bazooka Bubble Gum or Bonomo Turkish Taffy were very popular in the 1940's, and are sure to bring back fond memories for the guest of honor.

In the course of 70 years, your guest of honor is bound to have collected countless photographs that will bring back wonderful family memories. Purchase digital picture frames to place in the center of each table, and download some of these photos onto the frames. The picture will change every few seconds, giving guests a mini slideshow as they enjoy their meals. Highlight photos that capture your parent or grandparent during milestones in life, such as her wedding, standing in front of her first home, or welcoming a child home from the hospital. Use plastic jewels to decorate the borders of the picture frame, or glue a decorative bow or two to the frame in the party colors.