Founded by Terrica Do, started as a small hobby but soon developed into a growing empire. 

The granddaughter of Vietnamese refugees, Terrica has grown up with both the influence of her Vietnamese heritage and the inspiration of American culture. Her grandmother, Mai Nguyen, was the heart behind her passion and deep appreciation for jewelry. Born in Ha Tien in 1952, Mai courageously escaped to America during the Vietnam War with her husband and their seven children. Her husband, once a fisherman and Vietnamese soldier, had survived four harrowing years being a prisoner in a “re-education” camp before escaping. Fearing the possibility of recapture, Mai and Anh made the unthinkable decision to prepare to use hand grenades on their escape boat if captured—vowing to protect their family from reliving the trauma of imprisonment and the surviving the brutal realities of war. Their difficult journey to America was met with the generous help of refugee camps and programs. A Lutheran church granted Mai and her family a house to live in for $1, marking the beginning of this family's first generation to be born in America. 

Terrica recalls her earliest memory of her grandmother as an assertive (and loud) woman with a fluffy perm, always wearing gold and jade. With no real access to a bank or savings, Mai kept her jewelry close at all times—never removing her rings, bangles, or necklace. Some of Terrica’s most treasured moments were spent in her grandmother’s room, trying on her favorite pieces and begging to keep just one. She fondly remembers squeezing her tiny hands into the tight bangles Mai had brought from Vietnam, and listening as her grandmother skillfully bargained for gold and jade in Mai’s small hometown. When asked about the inspiration behind Kahlua Jade, Terrica credits her grandmother’s deep love for jewelry and the meaningful connection they shared through it.

“Jade jewelry is traditionally known to be passed down through generations with good spiritual intentions of luck and protection, and I want to carry this tradition with Kahlua Jade. Showcasing Jade jewelry outside its conventional style can be difficult, but I want more people to allow Jade to be apart of their journey, their identity, and their spirit - just as my grandma granted the same blessing to me.”