Do you own a jewelry box? If you are like any other jewelry lover and just absolutely adore the sparkle, gleam and shimmer of jewelry then you most probably have a jewelry box or two sitting around in your room. The story of the jewelry box might not go as far back as the first jewel but it goes back far enough in history to provide you with a fascinating glimpse of how it evolved as the world and society around it changed.
Jewel Caskets
It might sound a little morbid to us right now but the predecessors of the jewelry box were known as Jewel Caskets. They were made of metal and precious metals such as gold, silver, ebony and ivory to name but a few. These Jewel Caskets were crafted by highly skilled artisans and cost what would amount to an arm and a leg in today’s world. Because of this only the wealthier classes usually owned a Jewel casket.
The Victorian Trinket Box
The Victorian Era obsession for cluttering their homes with all kinds of knick knacks and curios extended to Jewelry Boxes or Trinket Boxes as they were called at that time. These beautiful creations featured flora and fauna cavorting across their polished surfaces.
Musical Jewellery Box
What little girl has not dreamed of owning a musical jewelry box at some point in her childhood? What might come as a surprise is that Musical Jewelry Boxes were only invented sometime in the 19th century. The musical box itself was invented as early as 1502 but the added innovation of using it to hold jewelry as well only happened sometime around 1865. It was the creative mind of Charles Reuge, a Swiss clock maker who put two and two together to come up with something that was a beautiful harmony of utility and music.
Jewellery Armories
Did you know that the infamous Queen Marie Antoinette, she of the “Let them eat cake!” fame had actual Jewelry armories? Think of it as super-sized jewelry boxes designed specifically to hold her uber fabulous collection of jewelry. But then again, Marie Antoinette of France was known for her grandiose lifestyle and spending so maybe jewelry armories are not that surprising at all.
Jewellery Boxes and the Industrial Revolution
Jewellery Boxes were once the purview of royalty, nobility and the wealthier classes. It was the dawn of the Industrial Revolution that changed all of this. With the arrival of factories and the introduction of mass production jewellery boxes can now be made available to the general public.
Fast forward to the present times and the amazing advances in technology that has turned the big wide world into a closely connected virtual community. We live in a world where good produced from Asia can be ordered and shipped by someone from Europe with a click of a mouse or a swipe of a finger. The sheer number of options available ensures that you’re sure to find a jewellery box you like.