A Philanthropy Driven and Eco-Conscious Jewellery Brand

Hi, my name is Karina Johansen, I am the founder and designer of RAW Copenhagen.

RAW is an independent jewellery brand based in Kent. I love to create effortless chic Scandi designs with a wanderlust and beachy vibe. In recent years I have developed a serious love affair with white freshwater pearls, as they are so gloriously feminine.

MISSION

My mission with RAW is to create effortless chic and everyday luxury jewellery designs that make you feel confident, feminine and elegant, and to create designs that you can mix and match also with your favourite heirlooms.

Jewellery is such an easy way to celebrate yourself and loved ones, to express who you are and how you feel, to underline your playful, elegant or girly side, and to simply make you feel good.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

I am a self-taught jeweller, I am Danish but have worked in most continents of the world for the UN, humanitarian charities and as a Danish Human Rights Diplomat. My designs are a marriage between my Danish minimalist design heritage and influences from cultures and strong women from around the world. My love for beads for instance stems from when I lived in West Africa.

As I grew up by the sea and spent all my summers sailing as a child, the textures of the beach and all water elements play a big part in my designs. I love playing with rough stone and hammered textures in the silver against smooth gemstones and freshwater pearls, or smooth metal against rough and raw cut gemstones. 

Jewellery has always played a big part in my life. Especially my late grandmother would celebrate all of life's big moments by gifting me and my sister jewellery pieces, and many of those pieces remain my faves today, and I love mixing them with my own designs. I truly enjoy being able to carry forward this tradition of my grandmother’s by offering timeless designs that can help celebrate big moments in the lives of other families. 

SUSTAINABILITY

With a strong personal interest in environmental sustainability and a background in international human rights and sustainable development, it is very importance to me to source all the materials I use, including the precious metal, gemstones as well as all wrapping and shipping materials, as sustainable as possible.

I primarily use recycled sterling silver for chains, pendants, beads etc, and from 2022 gold plating is done with recycled or fair mined gold as well. All paper materials are recycled and recyclable, and gemstones are sourced from small artisans who have been paid fair wages.

CHARITY

Additionally, you help donate to charities by wearing RAW Copenhagen jewellery. RAW has donated to the indigenous Hill Tribes Peoples of Thailand, to Women for Women, NHS Charities Together, Doctors without Borders, British Red Cross and numerous women's health charities.

In £2000 was donated to humanitarian charities providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, through donations to Doctors without Borders and British Red Cross.