With the price of cocoa beans setting unprecedented records on the commodities market, it will certainly turn the gift of love into a bigger financial commitment than it once was. Turns out that if love is reputed to be eternal, a low price for cocoa, the essential ingredient in chocolate, is not.

Ever since The Velvet Chocolatier set up shop in Stevenson in 2009, business has been great. "I owe it all to Oprah. She chose me as her favorite in 09," owner Ruthie Caroliner said. Ruthie told WMAR 2 News that each year,

Another cocoa harvest in West Africa has come up short, leading to the worst deficit in decades. That means higher prices for chocolate makers and for shoppers.