Love is in the Air

Time to break out the chocolate and flowers, for Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us once again.

Saint Valentine baptizes St Lucilla, Jaco da Ponte. Image via 

We have come to believe that Valentine’s Day dates back to ancient Rome. It is alleged that during the reign of Claudius, he was against men marrying during wartime, believing that single men made better soldiers.
Then along comes Bishop Valentine, obviously an old romantic, and performs wedding ceremonies in secret...


Unfortunately for the Bishop, he was found out, jailed and then duly executed. Whilst in jail he fell for the jailer’s daughter and was said to have written her a love note before his killing and signed it “from your Valentine”.

The day of that execution? The 14th of February, and thus Valentine’s day was born.

Valentine’s Day is observed in most Christian countries throughout the world. The day sees the sales of flowers, cards and chocolate skyrocket.

The red rose was said to be the favourite flower of Venus, the goddess of love, and has come to be the flower most associated with Valentine’s Day.

As for the chocolate, Casanova (the world’s greatest lover) was said to eat chocolate to make him virile. In the late 1800’s, Richard Cadbury produced the first heart shaped chocolate boxes especially for the day. If it’s good enough for Casanova…..

The cards go back as far as the Middle Ages and the oldest known in existence can be found in the British Museum and is thought to date from the 1400’s. I must admit that until now I always believed that Valentine’s was perhaps manufactured by Hallmark! The sales of cards sees Valentine’s Day the second biggest day for the manufacturers beaten only by Christmas. At my school, as a child, we would make a letter box to attach to our desk and await delivery of a card from someone special. Of course, we sent one to every class member, but it was still exciting to receive one from your secret crush.

Receiving a card can be a lovely and romantic gesture but for some a more impressive expression of love seemed more fitting.
In what must surely be the grandest show of love, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a monument of love to his late wife. Now, that’s a gesture.

It is unlikely that most of us will give, or be lucky enough to receive, such a majestic symbol of devotion but as is often said, it's the thought that counts.

If you should be looking to treat your loved one to a gift that will endure beyond the chocolates and flowers then perhaps you might consider a gift of silver.

Silver is a gift that your paramour will be able to treasure for years to come. A lasting gift for a lasting love.

Gaze eternally at each other in this simple yet elegant pair of frames. Click here to view on our website.

Sterling silver vase, 1909. Imagine how stunning those roses are going to look. Click here to view on our website.

Victorian silver bowl. For your gentleman friend. Fill with his favourite sweets as a reminder of how much you love him. Click here to view on our website.