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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.

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.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 119.48, or 1.21%, to 9,762.69 while the S&P 500 dropped 20.78, or 1.95% to 1,042.63. The Nasdaq lost 56.48, or 2.67%, to 2,059.61.

Melissa Lee, the moderator of CNBC's "Fast Money" TV show, led off with some news that a deal had been struck in Congress to extend the homebuyers tax credit.

Joe Terranova said D.R. Horton(DHI Quote) is the best play among the homebuilders stocks to capitalize on this extension.

However, he said investors may move from D.R. Horton to other stocks because the credit will be available to more than just first-time homebuyers. He said the impact of the extended credit will be felt in the spring selling season.

For a breakout of some stocks from a recent "Fast Money" TV show, check out Dan Fitzpatrick's "3 Stocks I Saw on TV."

IQ CPI Inflation Hedged ETF(CPI Quote) and IQ ARB Global Resources ETF(GRES Quote) seek to provide "real return" and help protect investors against inflation.

In its effort to nugget pearl provide return above the rate of inflation as measured by changes in the Consumer Price Index, CPI invests in top holdings like iShares Barclays Short Treasury Bond(SHV Quote), SPDR Barclays Capital 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF(BIL Quote), iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond Fund(TLT Quote), and SPDR Gold Trust(GLD Quote).

GRES attempts to hedge against inflation by providing investors with a diversified portfolio of commodities related investments, shying away from overweighting in energy. Currently, GRES' top holdings include Sandvik AB(SAND Quote), Sumitomo Metal Mining(STMNF Quote), ProShares UltraShort S&P 500(SDS Quote), ProShares UltraShort MSCI EAFE(EFU Quote), and Barrick Gold(ABX Quote).

One of the most problematic aspects of these ETFs is their underlying structure. Since CPI is an ETF of ETFs, its 0.48% expense ratio will be on top of the fees associated with the underlying ETFs. Layering fees on top of fees can add up quickly.

Not only can the collection of CPI's various fees rise quickly, these fees can also vary depending on the underlying holdings. Some ETFs, with complex strategies or narrow focus, have higher fees than other funds. CPI will have a very unpredictable fee structure because fees can change if it adds more expensive ETFs to illusion pearl necklace  its underlying mix.
GRES' fee structure will also likely vary widely depending on the fund's current holdings. GRES is structured to hold stocks along with the ETFs in its underlying portfolio. A 0.75% base fee will be tacked on to whatever expenses are inherent in the underlying components. Again, as the holdings in the basket change, or switch from equities to ETFs, the fees for GRES could change dramatically.
Both funds have the potential to add and subtract leveraged ETFs from their underlying portfolios. This is problematic from a fee and risk prospective. Leveraged ETFs often have high fees and short-term strategies. The high fees from these leveraged ETFs will push up the overall fees for the ETFs.

Leveraged ETFs are sophisticated instruments that are usually only appropriate in short-term trading situations. The funds tend to be very volatile and often inappropriate for long-term, buy-and-hold investors. CPI and GRES, which will be rebalanced monthly, may be forced to hold volatile, losing, positions in leveraged ETFs for too long of a period.

The creation of a series of funds that protect against inflation through the use of different types of securities is not necessarily a bad idea. But using the ETF structure to execute a flexible inflation protection strategy with multiple types of securities seems to pearl necklace be beyond what is reasonable.

CPI and GRES try to force active trading strategies to protect against inflation into monthly-rebalanced ETFs. The result is a risky and expensive mix of securities that could be unpredictable and harmful to consumers.

Last night, I did an interview with Melissa Lee and CNBC's "Fast Money" team, and I had a lot of fun doing it.

Here is the tape of the segment.

Melissa started by referencing my generational bottom call back in March and asked where do we go from here? I said that I am sticking to the call. I don't believe that we will see 666 on the S&P 500 again in our lifetime or certainly not before Karen Finerman's two sets of twins give her grandchildren! We have achieved my precise S&P March objective of 1,050-1,070, which seemed an insanely ambitious target back then. (Not surprisingly, we recently overshot that target to coral necklace the upside last week.)

That said, I mentioned that I have gotten progressively more bearish in recent months. That view has been premature. So few people admit to being wrong, especially on CNBC, but I admitted that I had been wrong as I underestimated the appetite for risk and the market's animal spirits. With so much liquidity flowing into the capital markets, one could say that central bankers have put a curse on cash. I also underestimated the effect of cost-cutting on corporate margins, but I warned that this has the potential downside of creating an adverse structural change in employment that pearl jewelry wholesale will weigh on future economic growth. Finally, I expressed that the fear of being in, so vivid seven months ago, has been replaced by the fear of being out today.

The markets now see the certainty of good and steady corporate profits and self-sustaining growth. By contrast, I see far less certainty.

SEATTLE (TheStreet) -- Boeing(BA Quote) says it will establish a second 787 assembly line in North Charleston, S.C., a blow to Washington state and the International Association of Machinists and a boost to the South Carolina economy.
Although Washington state officials mounted an intense effort to pearl jewelry wholesale retain 787 production, South Carolina offered an incentive package, recently approved by the state legislature, and a non-union environment.

Boeing shares closed Wednesday at $47.22, down 53 cents. But about an hour after the close, and following the announcement of the Charleston site, shares were up 93 cents at $48.20.

In the third quarter, delays related to the 787 were a major drag on Boeing earnings. The company took a $1 billion pretax charge against the 747-8 freighter program, largely because of delays resulting from the deployment of engineers to the 787.

The company also took a noncash charge of $2.5 billion because it concluded it couldn't sell the first three 787 test-flight airplanes and therefore reclassified them from inventory to research and development expense. The net loss in the quarter was $1.6 billion.

On an earnings conference call last week, CEO Jim McNerney said Boeing remains unhappy with the continued threat of strikes by its IAM workers in Everett, Wash.

"Establishing a second 787 assembly line in Charleston will expand our production capability to meet the market demand for the airplane," said Jim Albaugh, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in a prepared statement. He said the decision "allows us to continue building on the synergies we have established in South Carolina" and will enable Boeing to ramp up to pearl necklace production of ten 787s a month.
Already in North Charleston, a Boeing plant performs fabrication, assembly and systems installation for the 787 aft fuselage sections. Across the street, Global Aeronautica, which is 50% owned by Boeing, joins and integrates 787 fuselage sections from other structural partners.
Boeing said that until the second 787 assembly line is brought on line in North Charleston, it will establish "transitional surge capability" in Everett to ensure the successful introduction of the 787-9, the first derivative model of the 787. When the second line in Charleston is operating, the surge capability in Everett will be phased out.

Albaugh said Washington remains important to Boeing. "Everett will continue to design and produce airplanes, including the 787, and there is tremendous opportunity for our current and future products here," he said.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- CIT Group (CIT Quote) announced it had amended its proposed reorganization plan to allow for an immediate shakeup of its board of directors if bondholders vote for the proposal.

The amendment signals efforts by financier Carl Icahn to oust the board appear to be winning favor with bondholders, even though, in an earlier release Wednesday, CIT sniped at a financing plan Icahn had proposed a day earlier.

CIT is trying to cut its debt and has floated a pair of proposals to round pearl bondholders, including an out-of-bankruptcy restructuring and a prepackaged bankruptcy plan, which they must approve by Oct. 29. Both plans have met with resistance, however, most vocally from Icahn, who came seemingly out of nowhere earlier this month with a claim that he is CIT's largest lender, and began firing off letters criticizing the company's board for a host of decisions, including a loan it arranged with Goldman Sachs (GS Quote) last year.

CIT's board was to face an election in May 2010, but that was apparently not soon enough for some bondholders, including Icahn, CRT Capital analyst Kevin Starke told TheStreet.com last week.

Also on Wednesday, CIT announced it had borrowed an additional $4.5 billion from what it said was "a diverse group of lenders, including many of the company's bondholders," according to a company press release.

CIT has been scrambling to silver pearl necklace cut its debt following a funding crisis begun in earnest after it was denied access to a government program that guaranteed the debt of larger lenders, including General Electric (GE Quote) and large banks like Citigroup (C Quote), Bank of America (BAC Quote) and Wells Fargo (WFC Quote). Bondholders have until midnight Oct. 29 to agree on the proposed debt exchange, or some type of bankruptcy filing appears likely.