January
2002
VALENTINE'S
DAY, FEBRUARY 14
Give
an opal on Valentine's Day
 Through the
centuries, great lovers have given the gift of opal.
Napoleon presented his Empress Josephine with a
magnificent opal called The Burning of Troy.
Early Greeks thought opal gave powers of foresight and
prophesy. Romans regarded opal as a symbol of hope and
purity, calling it 'Cupid Paederos' - a child beautiful
as love.
Opal is the world's most beautiful gem - and a perfect
gift for someone special. Every opal has a unique
combination of colours and patterns. This Valentine's
Day, give something as individual and precious as your
love - opal jewellery from Lost Sea Jewels.
Valentine's
Day history and lore
Valentine's Day has its roots in a Roman festival called
Lupercalia, held on February 15 to celebrate Juno
Februata, the goddess of 'feverish' (febris) love. Roman
boys drew names of Roman girls out of an urn to determine
their partners for feasting and game-playing on festival
day.
Early Christians tried to curb these erotic festivities.
Attempts to stamp out the amorous nature of the day
failed, leading to a more successful compromise: changing
emphasis from a feast of the flesh, to a ritual for
romance.
The church selected Saint Valentinus (St Valentine) - who
was martyred by the Roman Emperor Claudius II on February
14, year 270 - to replace the pagan goddess Juno.
According to legend, Claudius had difficulties getting
enough soldiers to join his military, and thought this
was because Roman men did not to leave their loves or
families. The emperor cancelled all marriages and
engagements in Rome and declared marriage to be illegal.
The priest Valentine defied this ban by marrying young
people in secret. He was discovered, and put to death. In
honour of his sacrifice for love, Valentine was later
made a saint.
St Valentine having been martyred on February 14, the
church had a 'jumpstart' on the annual February 15
celebration of Lupercalia. The Valentine strategy worked.
Men and women continued to draw lots to select a
'valentine', with whom they exchanged gifts and love
tokens. Today, people choose their own partner - but the
Valentine's Day tradition continues with written
declarations and special gifts of love.
A
special gift for the person you love
To celebrate Valentine's Day, Lost Sea Opals is
launching a special new design, and offering our
beautiful opal inlay rings for men at special prices.
Make this Valentine's Day special with the perfect
gift - an opal as individual and precious as your love.
Click here
for Special Valentine's Day gifts
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