Lily & Co. Jewelers to host open house for California designer
California jewelry artist Conni Mainne will mark her first visit to Lily & Co. Jewelers on Jan. 24 with an open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 520 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel.
Visitors will be treated to Paper Fig Kitchen appetizers and a complimentary wine tasting.
“We are delighted to introduce Conni to the island and our wonderful community,” Dan Schuyler, co-owner of Lily & Co. with Karen Bell, said. “She is an inspirational designer who feels strongly about the positive role artists play in society and believes in bringing beauty into the world.”
Nature inspires Mainne, especially the verdant environment of California’s North Coast. Working out of her studio in Mendocino, the shapes found in botanicals, the surf, nautilus, clouds, stars and moon infuse her work with a mystical quality of the natural world. Moonstones are an integral aspect, favored for their color and sense of mystery. The gems, along with aquamarines, tourmalines, sapphires, pearls and diamonds, are adorned with her metalwork in 18-karat gold and silver.
While Mainne began training in jewelry fabrication at the age of 15 and studied with artist Glenn Miller, followed by intensive stone-setting classes, her primary training is self-taught.
“I know there is no substitute for sitting at the bench, day after day, honing one’s skills,” she said.