Have you ever seen a cigarette butt on the ground and considered it art? Worn a hospital bracelet as a fashion statement? Treasured a plastic wand from a bottle of children's bubbles? Probably not, but jewelry designer Laura Lobdell has, and the result is a whimsical collection of precious-metal "garbage."

A New York resident by way of Los Angeles and Hong Kong, Lobdell creates and sells her jewelry out of her minuscule Greenwich Village boutique with the help of her Japanese Chin puppy Xiao. Her high-end jewelry uses gold, silver, and semi-precious stones to bring an unexpected sophistication to childhood knickknacks and street refuse.

Remember candy necklaces? Tooth-shattering beads of sugar whose pastel shades never revealed a specific flavor, but left stains on your tongue and neck? Lobdell updates the candy necklace by replacing the beads with sterling silver and yellow and pink gold beads. I imagine they taste about the same, but Lobdell's look much better with a cocktail dress. Another childhood food-turned-couture is the macaroni necklace: Lobdell's version comes in either polished or matte silver, and you can go with a single piece of macaroni, or string a bunch together. Mom will be so proud.

For those looking for a bit more edge with their jewelry, the cigarette butt necklace may be just what you need. Complete with enamel glow on the crushed end, the cigarette butt necklace is almost indistinguishable from one crushed beneath your boot heel. Matchstick, matchbox, and matchbook jewelry are also available for a fully-themed look. What else did Lobdell dig out of the trash to immortalize in precious materials? Smushed bottle caps, a champagne cork, plastic bracelets from clubs and hospitals, spent bullets, bits of tree branches, and sunflower seeds--just to name a few.

Laura Lobdell takes items that would otherwise be considered garbage, and gives them new life. Many of her pieces hide behind their shiny facades, only revealing their true form upon close inspection. Lobdell makes rubbish into art, and that makes her Character Approved.

[Images: Laura Lobdell]