GEMaffairs - Our Newsletter 

GEMaffair proudly presents our newest line of customer information: GEMaffairs . In this quarterly publication, you will find interesting and entertaining information about jewelry, care and cleaning information, time-sensetive gift-giving ideas, and a whole host of other information.

In this issue, we are presenting to you the Birthstone information for October, November and December, as well as care and cleaning for those jewels. you will see how we are going to handle all shipping for the upcoming holiday season, and we will even give you some excellent gift ideas! So take 10 minutes out of your day to freshen (or re-freshen) your knowledge on one of our (and your) favorite products in the world: JEWELRY!

Featured Gemstone
Opal - October Birthstone
Opal has been a popular gem for many centuries. Did you know that it has the same chemical formula as quartz with the addition of 5 to 10 percent water? Structurally, it consists of tiny spheres with water filling the gaps. These spheres in most Opals are irregular in size and inconsistent in concentration. Yet in Precious Opals, the variety used most often in Opal Jewelry , there are many organized pockets of the spheres. These pockets contain spheres of approximately equal size and have a regular concentration, or structure, of the spheres. This has the effect of diffracting light at various wavelengths, creating colors. Each pocket produces a different color, with a different intensity depending on the angle from which a viewer sees it. The multicolored flashes of light that Opal (definition) emits gives it a truly beautiful and valuable look.

There have been rumors that the Opal is bad luck when worn, if it is not your birthstone. This simply is not true. The fictional story was started by Sir Walter Scott, in his novel Anne of Gierstein, in which the heroine of the novel has her life force caught in the beautiful Opal she wears and she dies when the fire in the Opal is extinguished. In ancient times, the Opal was accepted as a symbol of faithfulness and confidence. The name "opal" is derived from the Latin word opalus, meaning seeing jewel. Arabs believed that Opals fell from heaven in flashes of lightning, and that's how they received their fiery color. Opals are very powerful in ritual magic. Since a quality Opal contains every color of every other birthstone, it can be used or charged with all the energies and powers of the other stones combined and can be used in place of any birthstone for spells, rituals or other magical needs.

Opals have been linked to invisibility and astral projection. and have been used to recall past lives (each color supposedly represents a past life). It has reputed healing properties, especially to increase mental capacities such as creative imagination and other unused powers of the mind.

BUL-ieve it! -Bulova Watches have Arrived
GEMaffair is one of the newest BULOVA watch dealers! We now carry Bulova , Accutron , and Caravelle brand watches at significantly reduced prices. Get the exact same merchandise you would find at a jewelry store, but without that extra cost. We carry first-line merchandise that has never been returned, damaged, worn, or sold before. These watches come directly to us from BULOVA. Then we sell them to you. Give a BULOVA watch as a gift, and the recipient will think of you every time they look at their new watch. WATCH for other high-end watch lines as GEMaffair continues to expand their merchandise.

IMPORTANT HOLIDAY SHIPPING INFORMATION!
GEMaffair has relied on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver 100% of our packages for the last five years. Based on our experience, the USPS does exceptionally well with delivery times and the handling of our products.
Something that you might not know about the USPS:
During holiday season, the USPS operates on Saturdays and Sundays. This does not guarantee delivery on a Saturday or Sunday, but the USPS will deliver express packages on Saturday to fulfill their obligations. Furthermore, the USPS is open on Saturdays for individuals to go pick up packages, UNLIKE other parcel services. You can GUARRANTEE delivery by December 24th in the domestic United States via express mail if you pay for your item by 9am on December 23rd. Statistically, GEMaffair has found over the past nine years that the USPS is the most reliable, most dependable, and offers the best price for their service. No other parcel delivery service can boast that!

CONGRATULATIONS!
The owner/president of GEMaffair, Michael Jansma, married his true love on September 4th of this year. He and his beautiful bride, Laura, had their first dance, and then they danced with the guests for a donation, giving the proceeds to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. If you would like to donate to victims of Hurricae Katrina, contact the RED CROSS at 1-800-HELP-NOW.

FEATURED GEMSTONE
Topaz - November Birthstone
Believe it or not, the use of the Topaz goes back to the days of the Ancient Egyptian Em pire. Its popularity grew tremendously during the Middle Ages, when people believed the Topaz to have the power to strengthen the mind. Many astonishing pieces of Topaz Jewelry were created with this sparkling gem stone.

In the past, many referred to Topaz as a yellow to orange gemstone, but due to the large supply of Blue Topaz jewels in the world market today, many have been led to believe that Topaz is exclusively a blue gemstone. Of course neither of these misconceptions are true and the Topaz can display a wide variety of colors and even unusual effects - such as is seen in the Smokey Topaz . Topaz comes in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes making it ideal for a wide variety of applications. Red Topaz and intense Pink Topaz are the most rare and most desirable colors for Topaz. A gem with these colors will command a relatively high price.

Bright orange color Topaz, also known as Imperial Topaz , falls into the moderate price range and is easier to find. Blue Topaz, having a low to moderate price range, is very popular, because a variety of shades, sizes and shapes are available.
The true determinant for the evaluation of this precious stone will be the wearer's preference. The intensity of color and the clarity of the stone will contribute to the value of topaz as well, and should never be neglected. Never use mechanical or chemical cleaners on Topaz jewels. Simply use a soapy water solution.

Featured Gemstone
Tanzanite - December Birthstone
In 1967, Tiffany & Co. captured the world's attention and has held it in its thrall ever since with Tanzanite (definition) becoming the most popular gemstone in the world today after the "Big Four" ( Diamond , Ruby , Sapphire & Emerald ). It is believed that the Masai herders were the first people to discover this gemstone. According to popular myth, a lightning strike near the Merelani hills set surrounding grasslands on fire. When the Masai herders returned to the area with their livestock, magical blue stones appeared on the ground. When a Portuguese geologist, named DeSouza, traveled to this area in Tanzania , he saw the magnificent blue stone and assisted Tiffany & Co.. in introducing this exciting discovery to the world.

With vast deposits in the northern part of the country near the Merelani hills, Tanzania is the primary commercial source of Tanzanite. Very small deposits have been found in Kenya, but were not considered large enough for commercial purposes. Until recently. With Tanzanite's ongoing popularity even these small deposits are now being mined for Tanzanite gemstone jewelry.

When heated to 600 degrees Celsius, greenish to brownish Zoisite undertakes an incredible metamorphosis, resulting in the creation of this vibrant blue to blue violet gemstone, Tanzanite. With hardness between 6 and 7 on the Moh's scale, Tanzanite is quite fragile, and for this reason, ultrasonics should never be used to clean this precious gem stone. However with an appropriate setting and some care, all kinds of Tanzanite jewelry including Tanzanite rings will provide their wearer's with endless pleasure. Dazzling as Tanzanite earrings and Tanzanite necklaces, this rare gemstone speaks volumes about the wearer's personality and sense of style.

In its early discovery, Tanzanite was only available in small stones; however, today, larger stones have been made available, providing greater variety to the gemstone market. The lighting condition is the most critical factor when evaluating the value of these gem stones. Tanzanite will display the most blue under daylight, while the violet shade will be more apparent under incandescent light. The stone which commands the highest value is generally the one which displays minimal violet, even when it is viewed under incandescent light. It is common to find flawless Tanzanite crystals; therefore, the stone should not contain too many inclusions.

October 2002 was the date it was announced by AGTA (American Gem Trade Association) that Tanzanite would be the first birthstone added to the modern birthstone chart since it's inception in 1912. Turquoise would no longer be known as the only birthstone for December, now, there were two. Quickly, sales of December Birthstone skyrocketed and so did the price per carat.

Never use mechanical or chemical cleaners on Tanzanite. Simply use a soapy water solution.

GEMaffair has over $8,000,000 in total sales! We are one of the leaders in fine jewelry on the world wide web... a trusted source of enduring quality and unbeatable prices.

TOP 10 GIFT IDEAS FOR HOLIDAY 2005
Since we are the experts in jewelry on (and off) the internet, we thought we would take some time to share with you our best gift suggestions... we thought we’d have fun, and do a count-down, Letterman-style...

10. 14K gold hoop earrings - the classic staple. Simple.
9. A birthstone pendant, w/accenting Diamonds - shows you think about their birthday (see our website for birthstone information)
8. A 14K gold anklet, or other body jewelry - for the spirited ;-)
7. The ever-famous Mystic Fire Topaz... ring, pendant, earrings!
6. A watch - dressy, or casual, we have MANY!
5. For a closer relationship, the birthstone ring - she will like it!
4. Diamond stud earrings - any size Diamond, any shape!
3. A Diamond Anniversary Band! She deserves it! HE deserves it!
2. A One- or Two-carat Diamond tennis bracelet - for wives!

And our number one choice for a holiday gift, full of sentiment and warmest wishes (and luck!)...

1. Think she’ll say yes over the holidays?? The ENGAGEMENT RING! General Maintenance Tidbit. Gold (10K, 14K, 18K, 24K) can deteriorate in chlorine or bleach. So if you are heading to the pool, make sure you take all of your gold jewelry off! And if you are one of those people who occasionally stick their jewelry in their pocket, make sure you take it out before you do laundry.

That’s it for this quarter’s GEMaffairs. If you would like to recieve this publication in your email as a pdf file, please send an e-mail to john@gemaffair.com. In the subject line, type GEMaffairs NEWSLETTER. You will automatically be added to the recipient list. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions for this new infotainment brochure, e-mail John. And don’t forget to bookmark www.GEMAaffair.com!