Ever wondered when the intricately carved unique jewelry box made its first appearance? Although jewelry has been worn by even our stone age ancestors, it is difficult to trace the history of the jewelry box. The jewelry box was initially known as ‘jewelry casket’ and is thought to have originated in Egypt as the Egyptians had the habit of hiding their jewelry in ceramic jars when they set out on a journey. And many specimens of trinket boxes have been dug up during archaeological expeditions dating back to 3000 BC at ancient Egyptian and Babylonian sites. Small boxes that were crudely nailed together were also found that might have been used to keep jewelry safe.

There is some evidence of wood being used to create jewelry boxes in Egypt, Rome, and Asia many centuries ago. Antimonial lead, bronze, calcite, china, ivory were some of the popular materials used in those days and Asian boxes were covered with silk. The boxes were usually electroplated with copper and finished with silver or gold, or even ivory.

Native North-Western Americans were well known for their jewelry boxes carved out of cedar. The ‘Age of Walnut’ which folloed the ‘Age of Oak’ gained popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries. You would find boxes displayed with some extraordinarily ornate mother-of-pearl or ivory inlays.

Jewelry boxes became family heirlooms that would be treasured and handed down from generation to generation, and were also collected as souvenirs by travellers from the different places they visited. An exquisitely handcrafted wood jewelry box was a rare and precious work of art that was treasured. A hand-carved wood box made of good quality wood does not lose its inherent charm even after several hundreds of years. It symbolizes memories past and serves as a classic remnant of history.

The onset of the Industrial Revolution, brought about mass production and jewelry boxes weren’t so rare any more. This easy availability of jewelry boxes dramatically brought down the demand and the prices. The Mail Order business, which followed made it easier to order your jewelry boxes from home. The specially hand-carved and customized jewelry box did not, however, go down in popularity and demand.

In the 19th century, there was a rapid increase in skilled craftsmen who artisticallly carved boxes out of wood, silver, gold, bronze, and also fabric. Over the ages, it is the wooden jewelry box that has retained its inherent charm and popularity. There were different art forms that influenced the exotic workmanship of those days, like Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and Victorian art styles.

A customized wood jewelry box has not just utility value but also immense value as a charming and affordable collectible. It is found on the dressers of the famous and the rich and is a model of the continuously changing trends, materials, craft styles, and art forms. An antique wooden jewelry box, unlike boxes made of other materials, definitely increases in value over time.

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