"To be honest, I don't think a lot of people really know about suffrage in New Zealand and how [the women's vote] happened," said Ms Fletcher. "People know about Kate Sheppard from the $10 bill - but that's about it.
"It's important we remember our history. Putting these women's names into the Wairarapa environment reflects on the fact they were actually there.
"They got on with their lives in the community, but they signed the petition and got us the vote."
Ms Fletcher said the engraved plaques will be around 5cm wide, designed to be wearable, and composed of materials such as concrete, recycled wood and even local soil.
She welcomes ideas from the Wairarapa community for materials she can use - and hopes people donate some dirt from their own gardens.
"I like the idea of using dirt from different places in my jewellery," she said.
"I'd love to hear from people what they think would work for 607.
"If you've got an old abandoned house in your street with the rimu boards all ripped up, then feel free to send me the wood."
Ms Fletcher, a mother of three, first taught herself to make jewellery 20 years ago.
While living in Italy in the '90s, she took a jeweller's course at the Scuola Orafa Ambrosiana in Milan and qualified as a gold and silver smith.
She works with mainly recycled metals - such as old kitchen utensils, hinges, door handles and taps - and the remains of vintage blankets and tea towels. Much of her work is inspired by strong female figures in New Zealand's early political history.
She recently exhibited a line of jewellery based on a photograph of the first National Council of Women from 1894 - which featured a small "portrait" of each woman mounted on old piano keys.
"I'm a bit of a junk collector," she said.
"My neighbours smashed up an old piano they didn't want anymore - so I just went and grabbed the keys from the skip across the road.
"I love working with objects that are considered no longer usable.
When she arrives in Wairarapa, she hopes to enlist help from schools and community groups with installing 607 in each of the towns.
"It would be great if this were something the whole community could get behind," said Ms Fletcher.
"This will be a big job - there were 607 women. But, back in the day, that petition needed to be big - it took them three times to get something through.
"This will help people visualise what happened in our history."
The Friends of Aratoi Fellowship, sponsored by Aratoi, is a four-week artist's residence at New Pacific Studio, designed to explore Wairarapa history through the medium of visual art.
If you wish to contact Ms Fletcher with ideas for materials, or if you wish to help with 607, please email her at justine.liz.fletcher@gmail.com.
