Koh launched her second brand, JK Gems in late 2025 (All photos: Low Yen Yeing/ The Edge)
Core memories from childhood can often lead us down subliminal paths as adults. For jeweller and metalsmith Jessie Koh, one such reminiscence was of rummaging through her mother’s vanity and trying things on. “I used to go crazy over her collection. When she was cooking downstairs, I would be upstairs going through all the beautiful things on her dressing table. It was so fun to try everything on and to look at the pieces passed down to her from my grandmother,” she recounts.
That was when her curiosity and fascination with how these ornate pieces were crafted first began. Her mother rarely wore the more elaborate pieces, so she was not sure if her daughter would appreciate having her grandmother’s traditional Peranakan belts passed down to her. “She said, ‘They’re a little old-fashioned’ but I was like ‘No! Give them to me!’. There’s so much inspiration you can get from these pieces,” Koh says.
Despite her love of accessories and growing up in a crafty household — her mother knew how to sew clothing while her father spent his free time doing home upgrades and building furniture — Koh’s path into metalsmithing was not direct. “Before I got into it, I was in the corporate world for over 20 years. It was safe and familiar, but wasn’t helping me creatively. Art is sustenance and helps us humans feel more alive and grow. It gets us to understand ourselves better. How I pursue all this is through jewellery making.”
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From her first pair of pliers and beginner’s kit, Koh was hooked. In 2018, she launched Jessie’s Trinket Trove, a brand focused on natural crystals and simpler designs suitable for casual everyday wear. “These are the pieces that are easier to make, like when I’m sitting down to watch some TV and want to busy my hands with something at the same time,” she laughs.
Koh exchanged nine-to-five office life for artisan markets and pop-up booths. After a couple of years, she craved a more challenging niche that would allow her to produce intricate forms that could not be created with simple beads and wire.
“I needed a little more creative exposure and wanted to make my creations more robust as well as use precious metals. I did a course with Lucy Walker Jewellery when the academy was still based in Bangsar, then rented a jeweller’s bench so I could practise on my own,” she says.
Persistence got her through the long process towards mastery, and Koh released a range of silver finery with Peranakan influence. To help customers better understand the differences between these new outputs and the offerings under Jessie’s Trinket Trove, she established JK Gems in late 2025 — a second label celebrating the art of metalsmithing and precious materials, catering to the serious collectors looking to support indie crafts of exceptional quality.
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One of the signature designs is the Warisan Peranakan cuff, which features vivid cabochons and floral motifs reminiscent of those found on Nyonya batik. Rings with daintier blooms showcasing metallic beads or single brilliant gems at the centre decorate the hands. Meanwhile, candy-toned jewels set in silver give the Moonglade rings a rugged look, and the Eternal Flora pendants make a statement through fine engravings and large centre stones.
Though rather ornate, the offerings by JK Gems are low-key enough for everyday wear. Heavily inspired by Chinese and Malay mythology and art, traditional Nyonya imagery is characterised by depictions of flora and fauna, bright colours and complex filigree details which, when all put together in one design, can feel too overwhelming to pair with a plain, contemporary outfit. Part of Koh’s expertise is editing such flamboyant aesthetics into details that are a little more clean but still distinctly Peranakan.
“I start by taking a look at the core part of a design — for example, the fowl emblem in the middle of a belt buckle — then I zero in. Instead of the whole bird, I might look at the tail, then a single feather. I select one element, amplify and combine it with other components like floral motifs and colourful gemstones. The end product is still maximalist, but much more simplified than the inspiration,” she explains.
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Koh’s interest does not only lie in fashioning beautiful pieces. Tucked away on the second level of Plaza Damas in Taman Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur, her showroom My Artisan Hub doubles as a workshop space. Curious customers, hobbyists and students looking to potentially become professional jewellers themselves come here to learn the fundamentals. It is a full circle moment for Koh, who was once a novice looking to forge a path for herself in a fading trade. As metalsmithing masters age and inexpensive mass-produced pieces dominate the market, the handmade fine jewellery scene is shrinking. It comes down to craftspeople like Koh to nurture the next generation and demystify the crafting process for customers.
“There’s, of course, always the assumption that it couldn’t have been you who made the jewellery. That’s why when I do pop-ups, I bring along a work bench and my tools to do live demonstrations. Something that arrives as different parts and is assembled is not the same as handmade. It’s like buying an Ikea cabinet and saying you made it. You didn’t; you just put it together.
That’s why I’m very focused on showing people the process behind every single piece.”
This article first appeared on April 13, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
