Vintage books reinvented as gorgeous, wearable jewels

Despite the onslaught of digitized libraries and a horde of e-readers, many of us still love our books. But for those outdated volumes that really aren't being read anymore, they don't necessarily need to end up in a landfill. London-based jewelry designer Jeremy May of Littlefly (previously) takes old books and turns them into hip, new wearables, using a clever technique of lamination.

© Littlefly
© Littlefly

May uses vintage books destined for the dump, and after laminating hundreds of pages together, he uses this new material form to sculpt out his jewelry pieces, which are finished with a protective coating of gloss.

© Littlefly
© Littlefly
© Littlefly
© Littlefly

May's new works now feature some interesting details, like these rings below.

© Littlefly
© Littlefly

May explains why old books are the perfect medium for his work, and why his fabrication method adds an extra dimension to the deep depths already found in books:

Paper is many things: a carrier of text, illustration, history and emotion. [..] Each piece is impossible to replicate, and is unique to the wearer. The beauty of the jewels extends within the piece: text and images pass all the way though the object, only exposed at the surfaces – giving a tantalizing glimpse of the book within.

May's presentation is great too: he packages and showcases finished jewels by first excavating the initial form out of a book, then re-inserts them into the original book -- a clever touch.

© Littlefly
© Littlefly

These lovely book jewels are quite captivating, and show that our old, forgotten vintage books might have yet more life in the yet. If you're in New York City, you can check out Jeremy May's work in a group exhibition titled “Read and Worn: Jewelry From Books” at RR Gallery, until April 24. More over at Littlefly.