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Hello, I'm Juliet an Industrial Designer based in Rotorua. I started Jura Design & Makery in 2017 when my family moved home to Rotorua to live. Having been freelance designing in Wellington for over 5 years whilst also building my own jewellery brand I decided to open my studio doors to new clients and teach the skills I have learnt over my career in the form of workshops. The name came from my name 'JU' for Juliet & 'RA' for Ramson, JURA!

Qualifications

In 2009 I graduated from Massey University in Wellington with a Bachelor of Industrial Design with honours.
On completion of my final year of study I was awarded the Zonta Award as the Top Female Industrial Designer.

Work History

In Wellington I operated a freelance graphic  & product design service to various clients around Wellington. Working with businesses such as: Wellington Museums, Carter Observatory, City and Sea, Hutt City Council, Aspect Furniture and several Wellington based early childhood centres. I then moved into a lighting design role at a commerical lighting company in Wellington. Here I used my graphic design and marketing skills to assist the sales team, expand product ranges, develop custom lighting designs and learn the ropes of operating a small business. 

Found Jewellery

With a love of New Zealand contemporary jewellery I guess it was inevitable I would use my Industrial Design background to create my own jewellery lines at some stage. In 2011 this became a reality as I launched my first collection 'In a past life' inspired by building waste and creating new wearable pieces from it. I began selling my collections branded under Found Jewellery  which has developed greatly since and now includes regular designer collections, bespoke wedding and engagement rings, collaborative brand jewellery and global sales.

Workshops

Workshops are a new thing for Jura Design & Makery, and thankfully have been very popular! Currently you can join us to learn how to make a piece of jewellery in the BOP region.