Can you believe that an intricately handcrafted wooden jewelry box could be as attractive as the jewelry it stores? Handcrafted wooden jewelry boxes and cabinets have been popular over the ages, especially through the renaissance and the Elizabethan era. Wood is the material of choice in making jewelry boxes as it is pliant and has an earthiness attached to it, which is why it is preferred over metals by jewelry box makers.

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and of Navarre, redecorated her residence, the grand apartment de la reine, with many intricate and expensive pieces of furniture. The famous ‘Art Carpenter’ of the 1700s, Jean-Ferdinand-Schwerdfeger, gifted Queen Marie Antoinette with a large and intricate jewelry cabinet ,which she placed in her bedroom.

Jewelry boxes can be made with several kinds of wood. The favourites are cedar, redwood, teak, cherry, pine, walnut, mahogany, and oak. The ebony from India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and the African wenge are some of the exotic types of wood used in making jewelry boxes. The favorites are hardwoods..

Most lids of handmade jewelry boxes have carvings of special signs or symbols, flowers, landscapes, etc. These are very popular with men and women. It is usual for the box to match the decor of the room so those who can afford it, get their jewelry boxes customised to blend with the wood used in their windows, doors, and furniture.

Most wooden jewelry boxes possess their own characteristics and are distinct and unique. The natural color of the wood used in making the box is enhanced by artistically combined burls after they are stained. Exotic patterns are created using these burls which bear a close resemblance to granite.

Acid free suede lining is given to the higher end wooden jewelry boxes to prevent the jewelry from getting tarnished. It is better to store silver jewelry inside an air tight bag as exposure to air tarnishes silver easily.

A jewelry box that has a lot of drawers and dividers to separately store different pieces of jewelry is ideal for women. A mirror on the lid, music playing when it is opened, and several hooks to hold necklaces and small drawers for storing bracelets.

Men would shudder if you called their ‘watch boxes’, or ‘valet boxes’, or ‘cufflink boxes’, as jewelry boxes! and they are definitely less intricate than women’s jewelry boxes. An ideal box for men would be one that has several trays and dividers with spaces for rings, watches, cuff links, tie pins, etc.

Woodcarvers are more commonly found in Asia, Alaska, Russia, and in the Middle East. At the hands of an ‘art carpenter’ any block of wood can be transformed into a beautiful piece of art. Owning and displaying intricately carved wooden jewelry boxes is a hobby of the rich and famous, and sometimes, the box could turn out to be more expensive than the jewelry it contains!

The rich and famous even consider it a hobby to collect and display intricate wooden jewelry boxes and at times, the jewelry box turns out to be costlier than the jewelry in it!

This article was brought to you by MarqART Gift Shop. Our jewelry boxes are original works of art, no two creations are the same. Each wood shown has its own unique wood grain pattern and color. MarqART comes from combining the words marquetry (wood inlay) + Art (a creation of beauty) an apt name for our products. A fine addition to your dressing table or as a gift. Please visit http://www.marqartgiftshop.com to browse & buy exotic jewelry boxes that will give you a lifetime of pleasure!

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