Did you know that only wood can produce handmade wooden jewelry boxes? Each handmade jewelry box exhibits its own individual markings and traits. Some boxes are customized to match the room’s decor by making it resemble the existing furniture in the room.

Jewelry boxes are made in different art styles like the Contemporary, Victorian, Elizabethan, Art Deco, or Classic forms. Careful attention is given to the matching all sides of the jewelry box to produce aesthetic balance. This is called book matching.

Band saw jewelry boxes are those that are carved out of individual blocks of wood using the band saw, a power tool. This tool has a metal blade with teeth on one side and is used to carve irregular shapes out of wood. No joints or seams are found on this box and the lids are usually handcarved. The inner side of the box is cut out and sanded for a good finish. Several exotic names are given to these band saw boxes because of their unusual shapes.

Small handcrafted trinket boxes with feet and accents can be used to store delicate pieces of fine jewelry like earrings, rings, necklaces, etc. There are also men’s jewelry boxes called ‘watch boxes’ that are made exclusively for watches and are fitted with small watch pillows.

Most jewelry boxes are fitted with dividers that are used to create smaller sections in the box . The large boxes have different levels and several drawers while the smallest one has just a single drawer and is commonly used as a snuff box!.

In ancient times, carpenters used only their hands and hand tools to carve elaborately ornate jewelry boxes Several types of rare and exotic wood were used like the cocobolo, sassafras, and wenge. Jewelry boxes made of Kauki, an ancient and rare wood, are very expensive and considered as family heirlooms to be treasured and passed on to the next generation.

Maple is also commonly used in the manufacture of handmade wooden jewelry boxes. The hornbeam maple, red maple, sugar maple, and the European sycamore are amongst the most commonly preferred maple.

All pieces of wood are uniquely marked over time by fungus, the elements, insects, or just genetic factors. The unique burls in each piece of wood cannot be replicated. The various types of wood markings have different names: curly, birds-eye, spalted, bean claw, quilted, or fiddleback flamed.

The absolutely unique jewelry box is one that is not stained or dyed with chemicals and is allowed to reveal its natural ‘defects’, which in fact serves to enhance, rather than mar, its beauty. Each box is given a lining made of velvet or satin cloth or some fabric that is just as soft and smooth. The hinges are usually made out of brass and are gold plated, and sometimes even made of silver.

Given the uniqueness of each block of wood, handmade wooden jewelry boxes do not follow any pre-planned pattern. They come alive in the expert hands of a talented ‘art carpenter’ who knows instinctively the shape the box should take and produces an exquisitely carved work of art.

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