Jeremy May created these elegant earrings from the pages of 'Winnie-the-Pooh' (1926), which was an important milestone in the development of many generations of creative young minds, hungry for stories, fairy tales, fun and cute characters.

Jeremy May is a jewelry artist who takes the "reduce, reuse, recycle" mantra to a whole new level. He forgoes traditional metals and diamonds, creating instead unique jewelry pieces using paper.

May's process starts with a hunt for books to inspire him. He scours thrift stores and second-hand shops, looking for the perfect books that will spark his creativity. Once he's found the right one, he carefully selects hundreds of pages and laminates them together. Then, May shapes the paper into wearable pieces of art.

Surprisingly – or not – there is a romantic beginning to this story.

The idea to make paper jewelry came to May in 2007 when he created a ring from a newspaper for his wife and his muse, Eva, on their first wedding anniversary. That one, simple act ignited a passion for jewelry design that still burns brightly today. Even his website, Little Fly, is named after the nickname Eva's eldest brother gave her when she was a child.

May sought advice from friends – jewelers, watchmakers, and product designers – but traditional techniques didn't interest him. Instead, he wanted to create something completely new and unique.

The breakthrough came when he began stacking and compressing paper under high pressure. The result was a material similar to plywood but made entirely from paper. This technique allowed him to create pieces that were both beautiful and durable.

May's commitment to originality and creativity is evident in every piece he produces. He refuses to recreate designs, even if someone asks him to. This dedication to individuality and innovation is something he learned during his days studying landscape architecture, when his teachers encouraged him to think outside the box and to create something that was truly his own.

Jeremy May's jewelry-making process is nothing short of magical. Through his unique high-pressure method, and without using strong chemicals or adhesives, May presses the paper together and folds it into the desired shape, coating it in Japanese lacquer for strength. The result is not only beautiful but durable, with that first creation he made for his wife looking as good as new sixteen years later.

However, it's essential to treat paper jewelry with care. May has exhibited his work in galleries, where visitors sometimes drop the rings because they don't expect them to be so lightweight. Luckily, in most cases Jeremy is able to fix them.

May's jewelry reflects his artistic vision, and he sees it as wearable sculptures. As such, he's started experimenting with larger pieces, despite the limitations imposed by the size of the books he uses. With a few larger sculptures already under his belt, it's clear that May's craft is still evolving.

When he’s traveling, Jeremy May loves hunting for old books in street markets and second-hand shops. What catches his eye first is the book's cover. He enjoys discovering how people read a book, where they stopped, where they folded the pages; he is drawn to the paper they're printed on and the unique smells that come with each book.

Once a book is in his possession, he reads it from cover to cover. May's process is all about letting the book speak to him, and sometimes a particular quote will spark an idea that leads to the final design. He may start out with an idea for a ring, but by the end of the book, he knows it's meant to be a pin or a necklace.

His work touches people on an emotional level. Books are super personal for a lot of clients, making the jewelry extra special.

Most of May's clients are men who buy his creations as gifts for their partners. When they come to him for a custom piece, some know the exact book they want to use, while others ask for the designer’s help. They chat about things like the book's thickness, whether it has a hardcover or softcover, its age, and where it was published, which can all affect the final piece.

May's shelves are brimming with all sorts of books, but he prefers to work with vintage volumes that have a story to tell. He believes that the history and character of these books make his jewelry even more special.

Jeremy May is not just a jewelry artist, but a master storyteller who weaves tales through the pages of old books. His themed collections for exhibitions and galleries are like something straight out of a storybook. With a pinch of inspiration and a whole lot of creativity, his unique jewelry pieces showcase the beauty of paper. Whether it's a series of Harlem novels or a fantasy world full of magical creatures, Jeremy's imagination runs wild as he delves into the pages of each book, letting the story guide him towards the perfect piece of jewelry.

The excitement never fades, and the possibilities are endless.

Each piece is more than just a trinket or an accessory – it's a work of art and testament to the power of literature.

So when you get your eyes, or hands, on one of Jeremy May's pieces, take a moment to appreciate the story behind it.

Painting by Mason-Hamilton Smith: an anti-socialite and an amazing Brisbane-based artist.

Breathe in the sweet scent of spring with Luz Camino's enchanting interpretation of Fritillaria flowers.

Luz Camino, the mastermind behind this artwork, is a remarkable woman who exudes warmth, refinement, and a gentle radiance that aligns perfectly with her name, which translates in Spanish to "light". Her creations are a stunning reflection of nature, transformed into wearable art through her extraordinary imagination, expert use of precious stones and metals, unconventional materials and innovative techniques.

These delicate earrings are reminiscent of the iconic Tiffany library lamps. Adorned with colorful stained glass, these lamps embody the flowing and ornate designs of the Art Nouveau movement, known for its exquisite attention to detail and naturalistic motifs.

Nature has always been Luz Camino’s favorite muse.  She often takes long walks to clear her mind and gather ideas for new creations. She derives inspiration from the natural world's colors, textures, and shapes, drawing from a vast array of elements, from rocks to shells, mushrooms, and plants.

For these charming earrings, Luz looked into the fritillaria, a spring-blooming plant with bell-shaped flowers that form a charming, carefree chequered pattern of purple and white. In fact, the very name "fritillaria" is derived from the Latin word "fritillus," meaning "dice box," because the flowers' mottled pattern resembles the markings on dice.

To this day, the bulbs of some species of fritillaria are used in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including respiratory problems, coughs, and fever. Sadly, some species of fritillaria have become endangered due to habitat loss and over-collection for medicinal purposes.

Luckily, these precious spring blossoms have been immortalized in the masterpieces crafted by Luz Camino, safeguarding their beauty and ensuring that they will be cherished for many years to come.

Portrait by Jacqueline Ostermann. 

About Tiffany’s lamps

Step into a time machine and travel back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where the Tiffany Studios in New York, with the master designer and artist Louis Comfort Tiffany, crafted some of the most enchanting lamps the world had ever seen. Using a technique known as the "copper foil", or "Tiffany method," the artisans wrapped small pieces of colorful glass in copper foil and soldered them together to create vibrant and refined designs.

These stunning lamps were more than just functional light sources: they were bona fide works of art that graced the halls of museums, galleries, churches, and public buildings alike. The huge "Peacock" lamp, designed by Clara Driscoll, stood over six feet tall and weighed a whopping 500 pounds!

Fast forward to the present day, and these colorful, intricate Tiffany lamps are still inspiring modern designers and artists, still a staple of interior design.

Fabio Salini's Rainbow Necklace is an aesthetic and juicy eruption of colors. From delicate greens to water-clear blues, from gentle pinks to deep purples, from masculine colds to feminine warms: this necklace has it all.

An alluring blend of semi-precious stones, combined with a strong, rough carbon fibre base, plays together in a vivid and confident dance, choreographed to reflect the wearer's mood.

This standout piece is a testimonial to Fabio Salini's bold approach to jewelry design.

Born in Rome in 1973, he started his creative path as an architect, but his passion led him to become a jewelry designer. Salini’s avant-garde approach challenges the idea that jewelry is simply a status symbol: for him, it is an intimate and personal object that connects the wearer to their memories and emotions.

Fabio Salini derives inspiration from contemporary art and architecture, nature, music, dance, even food. His designs, born through the combination of traditional techniques and modern materials, are characterized by architectural and geometric elements.

While brewing the perfect and unique piece, Salini selects ingredients based on their aesthetic and emotional – rather than monetary – value, taking inspiration from colors, textures, symbolism and cultural meaning. He often incorporates unconventional materials, natural objects such as horns, eggs, bamboo, leaves, and non-precious, industrial components such as copper thread, stainless steel, and carbon fiber, to add a touch of uniqueness and mystique to his designs, and for each piece to have its own story.

Salini’s intricate and innovative creations, a concoction of modernity and tradition, have garnered critical acclaim and have been exhibited in various galleries and museums, including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo.