Our founder

About Dawn Juliano

Dawn Juliano is the founder and creative force behind DJ TOOLS, a company built from a lifelong passion for gemstones, geology, craftsmanship, and the art of creating beautiful jewelry by hand.

Dawn developed an early fascination with the natural world and the remarkable beauty found beneath the earth. She went on to study Mineral Geology at the University of Texas, where she deepened her understanding of minerals, gemstones, their natural formation, and the geological processes that make each stone unique.

For Dawn, gemstones have always been more than beautiful materials. They represent nature's artistry, history, and individuality. Her passion for working with these natural treasures inspired her to explore the hands-on craft of jewelry making, taking something formed naturally within the earth and transforming it into something meaningful, beautiful, and lasting.

In 1985, Dawn turned that passion into a business and founded DJ TOOLS. What began with a deep personal appreciation for gemstones and hands-on craftsmanship grew into a company shaped by her knowledge, creativity, and dedication to the jewelry-making community.

Her background in mineral geology gives her a distinctive perspective: exceptional craftsmanship begins with understanding the materials themselves. That appreciation, combined with a practical approach to jewelry making, has been central to the philosophy behind DJ TOOLS.

Creating jewelry should be an experience of discovery, creativity, and craftsmanship.

Today, Dawn continues to carry forward the vision that inspired her in 1985: to celebrate the beauty of gemstones and empower people to turn their own ideas into something they can hold, wear, and proudly say they made with their own hands.

DJ TOOLS is not simply a business founded on a love of gemstones; it is the result of Dawn Juliano's belief in the beauty of creating something by hand.