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Many of my vintage items are from the Kuchi/Kochi tribe - nomads that travel back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kuchi/Kochi are not Hazaragi/Hazara, Turkmen, or Banjara – these are very different tribes with distinctive artistic styles. Furthermore, Kuchi/Kochi are not the same as the Kutch people who are from Gujarat, India.

The Kuchi/Kochi are known for their bright colored adornment and textiles. Their jewelry is not made from precious metals, but rather from “German Silver or “alpaca” metal, which contains copper, zinc, and some other malleable metals. Many vintage items have a mix of original and replacement components. I always do my best to accurately describe items if they have obvious flaws or irregularities.

Many of my new items are handmade in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The metal content of new items is either German silver/alpaca silver or white metal. The stones are either a composite of genuine stones – such as turquoise, lapis, or quartz –mixed with howlite or another type of stone fill. As a result, the stones have the qualities of genuine gemstones, but at a fraction of the cost. All my new items are still made by hand using traditional techniques.

Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India are not the Middle East – as they are often mistakenly referred to by some sellers. Rather, these countries are in Central and South Asia – a region of the world that is very different from the Middle East in terms of culture, traditions and people.