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.

Clinton said her visit ¡ª the first since she became secretary of state ¡ª was designed to chip away at anti-Americanism in this predominantly Muslim nation and to offer US support for the government¡¯s assault on extremism.

Qureshi praised her for coming, saying, ¡®This visit of yours will build bridges¡¯ between Pakistanis freshwater pearl jewlelry and Americans. ¡®This visit is well-timed.¡¯

Just hours after Clinton¡¯s arrival in the country, the car bomb tore through a crowded market in the northwestern city of Peshawar in the latest attack apparently aimed at denting public backing for a recently launched army offensive against Al Qaeda and Taleban close to the Afghan border.

Clinton said the Obama administration intends to do more to support Pakistan on a wide range of issues, including economic development, energy generation, education multi-strands pearl necklace and the environment. She suggested that the administration of former President George W. Bush had focused too narrowly on Pakistan¡¯s value as an ally in the war on terrorism, neglecting other aspects of the relationship.

¡®We are turning the page on what has been for the past several years primarily a security, anti-terrorist cultured pearl jewelry agenda,¡¯ she told reporters on the flight from Washington. Anti-terrorism ¡®remains a very high priority, but we also recognize that it¡¯s imperative that we broaden our engagement with Pakistan.¡¯

In an example of the broader efforts, Clinton announced that the US would contribute $125 million to a project to increase Pakistan¡¯s electrical output and improve its energy efficiency.

Upon arriving on an overnight flight, Clinton went directly into talks with Qureshi. She was meeting later with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. She pearl necklace wholesale also planned to see Pakistani army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

One of the most sensitive issues facing Clinton is Pakistan¡¯s unexpectedly negative response to congressional passage of a bill providing $7.5 billion over five years for economic and social programs in Pakistan. The Pakistani military was especially critical, saying the bill amounted to US meddling in Pakistan¡¯s internal affairs.

Clinton arranged her three-day visit to get maximum public exposure. She planned to meet with akoya pearl jewelry students, business leaders, opposition figures and others.

¡®It is fair to say there have been a lot of misconceptions about what the United States intends for our relationship with Pakistan,¡¯ Clinton told reporters on her overnight flight, adding, ¡®It is unfortunate there are those who question our motives. I want to clear the air.¡¯

In addition to the US partnership with nuclear-armed Islamabad in fending off insurgent efforts to destabilize the government, Washington sees Pakistan as central to its tin cup pearl necklace strategy in neighboring Afghanistan. Taleban militants seeking to overthrow the government in Kabul find haven on the Pakistani side of the border.

Suspected militants exploded a car bomb in a market crowded with women and children Wednesday, killing 105 people and turning shops selling wedding dresses, toys and jewelry into a mass of burning debris and bodies.

The attack in the northwestern city of Peshawar was Pakistan¡¯s deadliest since 2007 and came as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the country to offer christmas gifts support for its fight against a strengthening al-Qaida and Taliban-led insurgency based along the Afghan border.

Clinton was three hours¡¯ drive away in the capital meeting Pakistani government leaders when the freshwater pearl necklace bomb went off in Peshawar. Her trip was not announced in advance in Pakistan for security reasons.

The bomb was directed squarely at civilians, unlike many previous blasts that have targeted security forces or government or Western interests. While no one claimed responsibility, the bomb appeared aimed at undercutting public and political pearl jewelry support for an ongoing army offensive against militants close to the frontier and showing that the government was unable to keep its people safe.

The shaky, U.S.-backed government said the bombing ¡ª the latest in a series this month ¡ª had strengthened its resolve to press ahead with the assault in the South Waziristan border region, a militant stronghold and a global training and operations hub for al-Qaida