About John Paul Designs

John Paul has been designing & creating handmade jewelry in downtown Bend, Oregon for over twenty years. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing from the University of Wisconsin Stout, he spent several years apprenticing with master metalsmiths in Madison, Wisconsin, and Vail, Colorado before making his way westward, eventually settling into life surrounded by the high desert slopes of the Cascade Mountains. It is here in the shadows of the looming volcanic peaks that he has been diligently working ever since, to perfect traditional fine metalsmithing techniques while skillfully incorporating his love of old-world blacksmithing practices. Combining the two disciplines has required much trial & error, but the result is a body of work that is entirely unique: pieces that incorporate a variety of precious & ferrous metals while showcasing the best of earth’s brilliant gems.