 oooh... where does that delicious Tribal style jewellery come from?
 ell, a lot of the rich and detailed jewellery that you see in tribal style bellydance is "Kuchi". It originates in Afghanistan, tho these days most of it is sourced from the refugee tribespeople who are living in Pakistan. Original, very old Kuchi pieces are beautiful and can be quite expensive. Some Kuchi jewellery is re-assembled from original components, so tho not actually "antique" they are still lovely pieces to have. Be aware that modern, shiny "Kuchi" pieces are also available, so make sure that you know exactly what you are buying before you pay for it!
f course, not all tribal jewellery is Kuchi! All the girls in our tribe have a mix of Kuchi pieces, old beads, bracelets and necklaces, modern jewellery - all sorts of items.
 here are no rules. Just look for whatever catches your eye... and sings to your soul!!
 o, where and how do you buy the goodies? Read on....
 bought all of my own Kuchi jewellery from various vendors on eBay!, an on-line auction website.
 In the last three years or so, I would have won over 30 auctions (not just for Kuchi jewellery), and have never had a problem with the goods not arriving on my doorstep. Some of the traders have been a little less than open when describing the items they had for auction, but on the whole, I have been delighted with them.
 f you have not used an auction site before, it can be a little scary, but I warn you that after a while it can become totally addictive!!!
 bay is an excellent site. I highly recommend it. If you are searching for tribal style jewellery, then I have found the best search term to be "kuchi". You can also try "belly dance" and "bellydance". You'll find heaps and heaps of listings there. When entering your search term, select the "worldwide" checkbox. That will show you only the items that are available to Australia.
 ake sure you email the seller before bidding with any questions that you might have. Most, if not all, of the sellers of Kuchi jewellery will be based in USA, so you will have to email them before bidding to find out how much they will charge for postage and handling. This varies greatly... I have been charged $US 5.00, $US 9.00 and $US 20.00 postage for items of roughly the same size! Ouch!
 ow, this is just my advice here, but if you email a seller with a question and they do not get back to you promptly (within 3 days), then do not bid. If they seem vague about the quality of their product, or do not answer your questions properly, do not bid.
On-line Stores
personally have bought Kuchi jewellery from Tribal to the Max, Tribal Beads & Arts and Sirik eBay Store. They all gave excellent service, the parcels arrived promptly (within 14 days), and I have been very pleased with the items that I have purchased.
 ow do you pay for the items you win? There's several ways. Australian cheques cannot be cashed in USA, so that is not an option. I have paid for my auction wins by
 
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Absolutely excellent! I always use Paypal now to pay for my purchases and auction wins. It is safe, secure, and costs you nothing to join. You sign up with Paypal, give them your credit card details, and when you authorise it, they then send payment to the seller, and bill your credit card. (The seller never gets to see your credit information.) There are no extra chages for you. Another HUGE advantage with Paypal is that the seller receives your payment right away. |
Cash |
For smaller amounts, I have sent cash through the mail with no problems. The only thing is you need to send $US dollars, not Aussie money. Most currency exchange places (like Thomas Cook) charge commission per transaction, which is around $7 or $8. There are smaller independant exchangers tho who do not charge commission. The downside to sending cash is that it takes 10-14 days for your payment to get there. |
Western Union |
Western Union International Money Orders are available from the Post Office. They cost $8.65 per order. Once again, it takes 10-14 days for your payment to get there. |
Happy dancing!
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