Past And Present

April 29, 2009

Jewelry boxes have been around for thousands of years, in fact the date of its origin is unclear, but they may have been called something quite the opposite of what one might expect from the 17^th century, such as feminine Work Boxes. Examples of these work boxes do exist from the 17^th century, but they served a completely different purpose from the jewelry boxes of today.

These 17^th century work boxes were usually fitted with a divider making up many small compartments for needles, reels of silk and cotton, and other necessities for stitchery and would be covered with silk and adorned with beads and embroidery. Work boxes are ordinarily portable, but at times they became affixed to the top of a stationary table.

In the 18^th century you would not find a lady without her work box. In the second half of the 18^th century enormous steps were taken to make these work boxes dainty and elegant.

A jewelry box of old, also known as a casket, is a receptacle for trinkets, not only for jewels. It may take on a very modest form, covered in leather and lined with satin, or it may reach the monumental proportions of the jewelry cabinets which were made for the very wealthy.

Today jewelry boxes are a far cry from jewelry boxes of yesteryear. They are made from various materials such as wood, exotic woods, leather, precious metals, crystal, glass and plastic to name a few. Modern day jewelry boxes come in many shapes, sizes and styles, including individual collections of jewelry boxes that range from jewelry armoires, to jewelry chests, to the overnight travel case, to the jewelry folder that simply slips into your purse.

Although jewelry boxes are known as receptacles for trinkets and jewels, today we may not look at our possessions as trinkets due to the fact that we will store anything from cuff links and rings, to watches and cell phones, including rare coins in what we know as a valet jewelry box for example, to show the diverse assortment of jewelry boxes of today from the work box of yesterday.