ABOUT KOH KAJA

A one-woman studio shaped by movement, materials and time

Hello Curious!

KOH KAJA is my private little island —
a place where I can work freely, follow curiosity, and create things I truly love.

What began as something personal slowly became something I wanted to share.
With you.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Svenja

KOH KAJA didn’t start with a business plan.
It started with curiosity.

I’ve always been drawn to materials that already carry a story — stones shaped by time, wood softened by weather, small objects found rather than designed. Traveling made this instinct stronger. Markets, beaches, forests, cities. Over time I gained more and more skills to transform these little wonders into something you can wear. It makes me happy to know that their story now continues with you.

How I work

Each piece is made by hand using carefully tested components and natural materials — some sourced, some found, some collected during travels.

Before a material becomes part of a collection, it’s worn, tested, exposed to water, movement and time. I want jewelry that can be lived in: worn daily, taken on journeys, becoming part of everyday life.

Designs stay intentionally minimal.
Focused on balance, proportion and wearability.

Travel as part of the process

Travel isn’t an inspiration added later.
It’s part of how KOH KAJA exists.

Many materials enter the studio through movement: markets in Southeast Asia, coastlines, forests, encounters along the way. Not everything becomes a product. Some things simply influence how I see, choose and combine materials. Not everything is repeatable — and that’s okay.

KOH KAJA isn’t about mass production.
It’s about everyday pieces with a past.

The studio grows slowly, shaped by places, pauses and transitions — just like the pieces themselves.

Everyday treasures — made to stray.

How it began

In March 2023, I bought my very first macramé bracelet from a young Spanish woman on the beach of Koh Chang. She gifted me a second one without hesitation.

About two weeks later, I took a small jewelry course on the banks of the Mekong River in Laos, where local makers taught me the basics of macramé knotting. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to turn a long-held dream into something real.

Back in Bangkok, I bought my first materials and stones. At the next stop — Koh Phayam — I started creating my first bracelets using shells and coconuts found in the surroundings by exploring hidden beaches and island parts by scooter and foot. There, I met a friend, Maria, who coincidentally lives not far from Berlin. I taught her the techniques, and we spent almost every day knotting bracelets together at a cozy hippie bar on the beach — a large ship built from driftwood, full of bridges, campfires and winding paths, created by locals. We’re still friends today.

About a week later, I sold my first bracelet there. To a woman from Finland. For 300 Baht.

On my way back to Berlin, I was so excited that I opened my Etsy shop instantly at the airport. Shortly after, I sold my first Gravity bracelet — to a customer in Hollywood, as a gift for her son.

That’s how it all started.

The beginning of a journey

  • Jewelry workshop in Laos

  • Crafting at the hippy bar

  • The first bracelets I ever sold

  • My first treasure Map

  • Beautiful driftwood piece found at a hidden beach

  • First Necklace I made in Laos

  • The first bracelet I ever made with a piece of coconut I found in the woods

  • Workshop with a view at hippy bar

  • First seashell collection being prepared

How it’s going now

Today, KOH KAJA is based in Berlin and shaped by movement. I work independently, slowly, and with care — allowing collections to grow organically rather than following fixed plans.

Some materials stay with me for years. Others appear only once. Some designs return in new forms, others remain part of a single moment in time.

KOH KAJA continues to evolve through travel, pauses, decisions and small shifts. What stays constant is the way each piece is made: by hand, with attention, and with respect for the material it starts from.

The journey isn’t finished.
It’s simply ongoing.

JEWELRY FOR THE CURIOUS

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