As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in farms. That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down. Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents. Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world. The cheaper cultured pearls have become popular and are many times the only pearls available to the consumer. There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from pollution. It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.

Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online. Pearls Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials. Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated. Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre. A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.

Diodes said net profit in the quarter to Sept. 30 came to 16 cents per share, compared with a loss of $4.6 million, or 11 cents per share, a year ago.

Sales fell 9 percent to $122 million, but the company said it exceeded the high end of its guidance.

The company said it experienced a pearl jewelry one-time boost in demand as Asian customers put in orders earlier than normal due to a one-week national holiday customs shutdown in China that began Oct. 1.
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Adjusted for one-time items, the company earned 21 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected 19 cents per share of profit on $120 million in biwa pearl revenue.

The company said it expected fourth-quarter revenue between $126 million and $130 million, a nearly 50 percent increase from a akoya pearl year earlier.

Shares advanced 14 cents to $16.77 in after-hours trading when the earnings report was released. In the regular session, the stock gained 25 cents to close at $16.63.

The company reported net income of $184.7 million, or 57 cents per share, compared with $90.1 million, or 35 cents per share a year ago. The results included net investment losses of $53.5 million. A year ago in the same quarter losses were $156.3 million.

Revenue for pearl jewelry this year's third quarter was $2.27 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn 65 cents a share on revenue of $2.49 billion.

Shares fell 3 cents to $25.01 during trading. The company reported the results after the market closed. Shares rose 9 cents in aftermarket trading.

The company said its biwa pearl results reflect having lower average assets under management than a year ago, higher costs for employee pension and other post-retirement benefits, lower investment income and unfavorable foreign currency movements.

It offset some of those impacts by cutting costs.

The Des Moines-based insurance, retirement and financial services company said market conditions have helped it improve the assets under its management by 9 percent since the akoya pearl second quarter to $280.4 billion as of Sept. 30. Its operating profit improved 19 percent from the previous quarter and net income is up 23 percent.

CEO Larry Zimpleman said confidence in the market is improving, but economic recovery will be more protracted and business activity in the near term will remain muted.

DENVER (AP) ¡ª Fiber-optic network provider Qwest Communications International Inc. said Monday it will save about $100 million by stopping contributions to the pension plans of active managers and freezing their pay. he move to stop adding to pearl jewelry pension benefits on Jan. 1 will save $60 million in 2010, while declining merit pay increases will save $35 million next year, it said.

Combined with changes to benefits of  biwa pearl employee health plans and life insurance, total savings will amount to about $100 million in 2010, the company said.

The moves impact active management employees, and not retirees, former employees or employees covered by contracts negotiated by the akoya pearl Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Shares closed earlier down 8 cents at $3.51.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ¡ª The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added the U.S. Magnesium site near Utah's Great Salt Lake to the federal Superfund list.The EPA's announcement Monday makes the Tooele County sithe EPA's announcement Monday makes the pearl jewelry Tooele County site's cleanup a national priority.

EPA officials say the company's 4,525 acres are contaminated with heavy metals, acidic wastewater, polychlorinated biphenyls (by-FE'-nils) and uncontrolled waste products. The biwa pearl agency says contaminants have been released into the air, soil and water.

The EPA says blood tests of workers in 2002 and 2004 found elevated levels of dioxin and hexachlorobenzene. The agency prop
benzene. The agency proposed adding U.S. Magnesium to the akoya pearl Superfund list more than a year ago. Company officials fought the designation. They say the federal agency has overstated the hazards.

The car-rental company said it earned $57 million, or 54 cents per share, during the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30. Its year-ago loss was $9.91 per share.

Revenue fell 13.9 percent to $1.47 billion from $1.7 billion a pearl jewelry year earlier.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting a profit of 55 cents per share.

The company said domestic leisure pricing rose 13 percent, and strength in the used car market helped the company shrink its fleet. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization rose 17 percent to $165 million from a biwa pearl year earlier.

However, car rental revenues fell 14 percent, driven by a 21 drop in rental days.

The company said it expects rental volumes to akoya pearl drop again in the fourth quarter. However, it said demand seems to have stabilized, and that it expects pricing to keep improving into the fourth quarter.