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Brrrrrrrr!
Welcome to GEMaffair.com’s Winter 2007 Newsletter, the seasonal jewelry missive specially designed to stave off the winter cold. Okay, not really. We can’t make the cold go away. But we can tell you a lot about jewelry, what to shop for and how to take care of the jewelry you already own. And, if it helps, we remind you that winter is one of jewelry’s hottest seasons, with the most romantic holiday smack dab in the middle. You guessed it, VALENTINE’S DAY! (Further on, we have five spectacular gift ideas for Valentine’s Day 2007). We also have a couple of truly heartwarming stories, including great news about what our employees did for Christmas. So throw an extra log on the fire and cozy up with the GEMaffair.com Winter 2007 newsletter – you might be peeling off an extra layer by the time you finish reading…

We partnered with Amazon.com!
We’re launching an important relationship with Amazon.com that will help us provide you with the highest quality service yet. Amazon.com met with us on several occasions and thoroughly reviewed our track record as a business. It was a long and involved process, and it was definitely worth it. Amazon.com has decided to commit to a three-year contract! So we hit the ground running. Our new site GEMaffair.com is hosted on Amazon servers, and it has a newer, more comfortable look. It’s designed to make shopping easier for you. Now when you shop on GEMaffair.com and make a purchase, you will checkout using Amazon.com’s state of the art checkout system. And if you already have an Amazon.com account, you can pay for your items using Amazon’s “1 Click” checkout.

Perhaps the most exciting news is that Amazon.com is now backing up all our products with their exclusive Amazon.com A-Z guarantee. That’s really big for us. Not only does it mean you’ll be shopping more safely than ever; it also means that Amazon.com trusts our products enough to completely guarantee them. Not many companies can say that. We can. We’re very excited.

Easing up to the 140,000 mark
We’re proud to announce that in December 2006, GEMaffair.com reached its 140,000th sale. Now, we know what you’re thinking: ONLY 140,000! It’s true, we didn’t pump up our customer growth rate last year. But why would we? After all, scrambling for customers isn’t really what we’re about. We’re more excited about providing better service, better products and better packaging to the customers we already have. So we dialed down our customer growth rate a little bit in order to focus on creating loyal, lifelong relationships. And that can only happen when we take good care of YOU.

Employees do it again
Every year we choose a struggling family to adopt for Christmas. This year we adopted a single Mom and her three children, whose ages range from 8 to 14. After suffering from a violent husband and father, they sought refuge at a local shelter. Our employees donated $750 and generously volunteered their time to help this family have a better Christmas. Of course, we encourage everybody to look within own communities for opportunities to help others, not only during the holiday season, but all year round.

It’s a boy!
Michael Jansma, the owner of GEMaffair.com, recently made a special announcement to his employees: his wife is pregnant, the baby is due on May 24th, and it’s a boy! More importantly, however, he’s an emerald birthstone boy. Needless to say, friends, family and employees are already planning elaborate emerald themed jewelry gifts for the baby. Right?

In any case, employees are notably relieved by the good news: they finally know why Michael has been acting a little more stressed lately! Also, the employees with families have their own reason to be happy, as they know Michael will better understand their needs as parents. Congratulations, Michael!

Clothing considerations
With its warm, vibrant glow, jewelry is the perfect wintertime gift. But the season does carry its particular quirks. You should be especially careful about pins and prongs; the wrong type of jewelry affixer can ruin sweaters and other heavy winter garments. In other words, clothing that has a larger “thread”. We recommend that you take your collection to a local jeweler and ask for a tune-up. Jewelers will usually provide this service for free just to get you in the door, peering into their display cases. Take advantage. Check out the prices they’re charging for your favorite items, and then compare them on GEMaffair.com. You’ll be reminded why you shop with us online.

January Birthstone: Garnet
Garnet’s breathtaking red comes from a rich concentration of iron and chromium. The color is enhanced by an intricate crystalline composition that refracts light. Even the name “garnet” refers to the stone’s potent structure, tracing back to the Latin “granatus,” which refers to its round, granular shape when found raw, and the seed-like, refractory composition of crystals. The name is also said to bear relation to the pomegranate, as particular garnet (definition) varieties resemble the shape and color of this seductive fruit.

Extremely popular in Victorian Europe, the allure of the Bohemian garnet jewelry lives on today. Abundant in the Czech republic, it reveals the old-time jewelers’ strict appreciation of the gemstone’s stand-alone beauty. Garnet designs are characteristically stripped down and the stones are set closely together – the garnet is meant to speak for itself.

Surprisingly, this January birthstone yields a much wider spectrum than red alone. With species occurring in orange, gold, yellow, green, violet, lavender (and even a recently discovered blue!), garnet is highly accessible to a wide variety of chromatic caprices. Despite being a relatively stalwart stone, garnet should be cleaned gently, lest scratching occur. Warm soapy water, or a soft, dry cloth are the best methods for home cleaning.

February Birthstone: Amethyst
If a stiff drink is your remedy for the winter cold, take note: according to mythical belief, amethyst (definition) will make it very, very difficult to get that warm and fuzzy feeling. Long fabled to have potent protective and cleansing powers, amethyst has been widely rumored to prevent alcohol intoxication. Even its name, the Greek amethystos means “not intoxicated.” Amethyst goblets – even amethyst powder – were used in ancient times to stay the effects of liquor. This gemstone was also used to ward off evil spirits and to prevent snakebites (when fastened to a dog-hair necklace, of course).  February birthstones (guide) have been regarded to give the wearer great powers. Medicinal purposes include deeper sleep, heighten intellect and thwart sorcery for the lucky owner. They were also used as an anecdote for insect stings and stomach acid. Myth aside, scientists have been mystified by amethyst’s bizarre physical structure, which is unique among all other types of quartz. It is stratified, which explains the irregularity of color in larger cuts. Its spectacular violet hue has only recently approached the scientifically explainable: a combination of iron compounds and natural radiation.

For cleaning, send your amethyst jewelry to an ultrasonic cleaner. Home cleaning should be done very carefully, with a bristle brush and soapy water. Long-term sunlight will destroy or alter its color.

March Birthstone: Aquamarine
In deep, stunning blue, this gemstone summons the watery lore of oceans; Aquamarine, (definition) is traditionally a good luck charm for sailors.  March birthstones (guide) were worn by sailors to protect them from storms, giant waves and sea serpants.

Along with emeralds, Aquamarine is a member of the beryl family, which explains its naturally occurring green tint. Gem purveyors easily and untraceably remove through heat treatment, in order to attain that pure, mystifying blue. Lately, however, some gem buyers are beginning to prefer the green tint as a marker of the stone’s authentic beauty.

Polishing aquamarine jewelry is a highly rewarding experience, as the natural brilliance is easily brought about. But be careful not to over clean. Also, avoid ultrasonic or chemical cleaners.

Five Great Valentine’s Day Jewelry Gift Ideas!
5. Diamond Drop earrings. These will charm your date and add sparkling luster to her looks!

4. A birthstone bracelet laced with gems. Brilliant, elegant and colorful, birthstones or favorite gems can adorn this delightful wrist piece.

3. Diamond Earrings - What girl does not want a pair of these sparkling gems. Essential to all jewelry collections and fashion wardrobes. A must have.

2. Pearl Earrings. Whether affordable – or a splash – pearl earrings create an opulent complement to her natural beauty. Pearls are the perfect springtime accessory.

1. Diamond Heart Pendant or Diamond Heart Necklace. If she does not have one of these-surely a smile getter. Pick one in Diamonds or her birthstone or both. Pick a heart shaped jewelry box to really drive home your intentions.

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