Candy? Flowers? Nooooooo!

Imagine this: A week before Valentine’s Day, you come to H&A International Jewelry to look for a gift for your lovely partner. One of our amazing sales associates helps you narrow it down to either a gorgeous strand of pearls or a delicate diamond heart pendant. You decide that your partner would like the strand of pearls more, so you go with that piece. You leave after a wonderful sales experience, and as you get into your car you think to yourself “Why is Valentine’s Day celebrated?”

Valentine’s Day is a holiday that celebrates love and romance in all its forms. It is celebrated on February 14th and oftentimes too much chocolate is eaten on this day. Candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. The legend of this saint is a story of sacrifice. It all dates back to 269 A.D. during the rule of the Romans. Rome was ruled by Emperor Claudius II Gothicus, nicknamed Claudius the Cruel. He was one of Rome's most notoriously harsh rulers. Many wars were fought under his reign and he abused many of his people violently and unashamedly. Due to so many wars being fought, there simply were not enough soldiers or men signing up to be new recruits. Claudius II thought that the reason why men were not signing up was because they did not want to leave their partners behind. That led him to ultimately ban marriage altogether. Those who were caught getting married were to be immediately executed. Hopes of matrimony were lost until a priest by the name of Saint Valentine secretly began to marry soldiers before they were sent off to war. He was later caught by Claudius II and was sentenced to death. Legends say that in the days leading up to his execution, Valentine fell in love with his jailer's blind daughter. Valentine used the ink that he squeezed out of flowers to write a sonnet, and the sonnet is believed to have made the blind girl see again. He was executed shortly after the girl regained her sight. St. Valentine's story of sacrifice led to the happiness, love, and commitment of hundreds of couples to live on. His work later granted him his sainthood. February 14th was picked as the day of celebration because of the ancient belief that birds began to mate on that day every year.

Thanks to St. Valentine we now have today dedicated towards celebrating the ones we love by showering them with cards, chocolates, candies and GIFTS!! So as a friend of H&A, we wanted to make your Valentine’s Day a little less stressful. We

came up with a wish list for you that no person can deny. Any of the pieces that are listed below will make a lovely gift for your partner. All pieces can be found in our store or custom made for you!

• A classic set of pearl earrings.

• A beautiful strand of pearls and/or pearl tin cup necklaces..

• A delicate diamond heart pendant

• Red is for… love and rubies!

• A lovely rose gold piece.

Valentine’s Day is not only celebrated among lovers but also friends and family, to show their love and appreciation of each other. Make sure to stop by H&A and make Valentine’s Day an even better day!!