Christy Conrad was born in New Haven, Connecticut but has lived throughout New England. Her father is a fisherman and her childhood memories consist of time spent on the ocean. The unusual textures and creatures helped spark her imagination. She started her interest in jewelry as a child, wanting to share the treasures she collected with the world.   

Her first experience with jewelry fabrication was in high school, where she started a jewelry program during her time at Kimball Union Academy. The jewelry she made at Kimball Union and experimentation with welding and larger metal sculpture after graduating, provided her with work that led to her acceptance to study jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology.   

While at FIT, she had the opportunity to study millinery, something she hopes to combine with her jewelry. In 2017, Conrad made hats for designer XO Assante whose collection was featured in the June edition of Vogue Italia. 

FIT is also where she met master craftsman with a specialty in Japanese metal techniques, Chie Teratani, who she continues to study and work with today. This spring she presented her research of Japanese metal techniques at the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference. She continues to progress her own work experimenting with Japanese metals as well as teaching at the studio she opened with Chie Teratani in Greenwich, CT, Studio Dahl.