Fabulous Jewelry from Found Objects by Marthe LeVan and The Jeweler’s Directory of Decorative Finishes by Jinks McGrath
I ran across a copy of Fabulous Jewelry in the Kohler bookstore. In a country of excess in a season of too much, the idea of recycling everyday found objects into functional art is both appealing and intriguing. Admittedly, the chances of me wearing a Elizabethan collar made of playing cards or a necklace of toothpicks are pretty slim. However, less showy chapters show how to take old scrabble tiles, pretty bottle caps, broken glass and other bits and bobs and clean them up to use as jewelry elements. They even have a chapter on making those plastic snap-bracelets that we used to wear in middle school! 
Both books are visually interesting, but more importantly, include actual step-by-step directions on creating jewelry and finishing the pieces with everything from basic tools to soldering irons. Hooray for hands-on books!