Connie Bennett is one of the most exciting jewelry designers on the fashion/art scene today. Connie has been featured on QVC and regularly appears in fashion and trade magazines. Her jewelry has become popular from coast to coast and is carried in boutiques, galleries and department stores. Born in Alexandria VA, Connie was raised in Fayetteville, NC. She earned her BS degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC.
Tallahassee, Florida has been the home for The Connie Bennett
Collection for the past eight years. Connie originally started her studio glass
product line in Jacksonville, Florida 15 years ago initially selling her
handmade items as a cart vendor at the Jacksonville Landing. This successful
retail experience gives Connie a very unique and insightful understanding of
retail customer buying tendencies adding value to her wholesale customers.
The first thing you notice about “The Connie Bennett Collection” is COLOR,
COLOR AND MORE COLOR!
Connie designs dichroic and mixed media jewelry as well as mirrors and vases using stained, dichroic and
fused glass. Her pieces are handcrafted so no two pieces are exactly the same. The glass is combined with unique beading and charms, and are dimensional, contemporary and FUN!
Connie first draws a design on the stained
glass, then the shapes are cut, ground and wrapped in copper, and soldered with
a non-lead solder. Charms and beading are attached along with a final plating of
silver or gold. The fused designs are made with a different process. The type of
glass used is called dichroic and/or slumped. This is an extremely expensive
glass and process due to the labor intensive nature of this product, but the
effects are dynamic and worth the extra effort. The glass is layered after
cutting, and fired in a kiln. After the annealing process is complete, (cooling
down period), the stones are shaped and assembled into the beautiful pieces that
makes Connie's designs so unique. All jewelry is available in both sterling
silver plate with a final plating of rhodium to prevent tarnishing, and 24 carat gold plated finish. Each
design is fully copyrighted to protect the artist. Most pins can also
be worn as a pendant. Connie
is constantly striving to be different ... after all, it's much more exciting to
stand out than to blend into the crowd.
Connie is wearing the
Poinsettia Pin from her Christmas Collection as a pendant on an omega necklace.
