At CHAI Studio, owner Amerjit Ghag has introduced a collection of one-of-a-kind jewelry by Afghanistan’s nomadic Kuchi tribespeople. The pieces were transformed over time into new works of wearable art as the nomads altered them with new materials collected on the road, from semiprecious stones and glass beads to Pakistani coins.

"The jewelry becomes an assemblage of all the hands that go into it," Ghag said. "It’s not cookie-cutter jewelry. It’s got history behind it and is so interesting because of its journey."

For centuries the nomadic Kuchi tribe migrated across the landscape with the seasons, herding their goats and camels and decked out in all their belongings, from woven robes to dramatic silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian and glass-encrusted jewelry.

They lived by selling or bartering meat, dairy products, wool, sheepskins and handicrafts, but war in the region has taken its toll. The Kuchi population estimated at 2 million to 2.5 million in the 1960s through 1970s has been nearly halved to 1.3 million to 1.5 million after more than 30 years of conflict that began in 1979 with the decade-long war with the Soviet Union.

The decades of devastation forced many of the tribal people to sell their jewelry and clothing. That drive to survive, combined with ingenuity, has created a rich legacy that is trickling into the West.

"A piece may have started as something a bride wore, that her parents had made for her. Somewhere along the line, she may have added beaded fringe, and when she got tired of it, she sold it and it ended up in Delhi, where I found it. And it ends up in Hawaii where someone can wear it and appreciate its beauty," Ghag said.

Much of the jewelry may have started as components of a necklace, earrings or headdress that have been scattered over time, ending up as a pendant that Ghag placed on semiprecious stone chains to make them more compatible with contemporary Western dress. Older collar-style necklaces may be intact, though worn linings have been replaced with new cotton fabric. Prices of pendant necklaces start at $146.

Ghag estimates many of the pieces are 10 to 20 years old, and said, "It’s in India that you find them," suggesting that some of the more colorful and elaborate pieces may have been redone to appeal to that market. "India is about more is never enough — add more gold, more bling, more glitter."

In the three years since opening CHAI Studio, which specializes in sustainable furniture made from architectural salvage, and custom textile collections, Ghag has learned that her customers love knowing the provenance of the objects they bring into their lives.

She started with newsletters outlining the history of beds custom-designed for her shop, such as headboards that may have started in India as ventilation panels or the side of a home.

"I got so much feedback. Customers said, ‘Wow, that’s what we want to know.’ They want to hear the story."

CHAI Studio is at Ward Warehouse, 1050 Ala Moana Blvd. Call 536-4543.