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               Happy Valetine's Day

Ahhh, amore! Regardless of what’s going on in the world around us, people will always fall in love. And although we’re sure it happens year-round, what better time for us to celebrate love and affection than in this February issue? Be sure to note how many North Georgia advertisers are showing their love with specials, sentiments, or just showing their red and pink colors. In addition to some Valentine’s celebrations in our events, we pay tribute to Valentine’s Day on page 19 with one look at its hazy origins.

This been a really fun issue to put together—what goes better with love than rocks! There is a lot of gemstone knowledge being shared in this issue. Did you know that “semi-precious” is a term the gem industry would like to see obsolete? The term was originally used to describe any gem other than a diamond, sapphire, ruby, or emerald. But since the term implies sub-standard value, and there are so many equally beautiful clear and colored stones (such as apatite and tourmalines) as well as beautiful “rocks” (such as lapis, turquoise, jasper, and agate), the word “precious” seems to no longer apply to only a few stones. All are precious! When it comes to gems, beauty and value are truly in the eye of the beholder. We want to send a big “thank you!” to Mr. Donald Clark of the International Gem Society (www. gemsociety.org) and the International Colored Gemstone Association (www.gemstone.org) for providing such wonderful gemstone articles. We hope you will not only find these articles interesting, but will also feel more informed when you go to make your next gem purchase. If your interest is piqued, you should certainly check out their web sites, where you can find an abundance of gem information for just about any age and any experience level.