Great Gifts For Women: Lovely Wooden Jewelry Boxes for All Seasons

Sometimes it’s really difficult to find great gifts for women who are very discerning when it comes to the products they use. If the gift is intended for someone who is keen on accessorizing, it’s always a good choice to get something to organize her extensive jewelry collection. Big or small, she’ll love the idea of keeping her valuables in a safe and secure container.

Jewelry boxes have a long history and they became particularly popular during the 18th century. The royalty and the nobility commonly collected these precious boxes. They were made with enamel coating and exquisitely decorated with gold or silver with ornate gems and other precious stones.

Today, more expensive jewelry boxes are made the same way and follows the traditional techniques. But to make them more accessible to everyone who wishes to have their own, other types of materials are being used. There are boxes made from leather, wood veneers, plastics, and natural materials like bark, seashells, and various types of plant fibers.

One of the most popular techniques used in creating dazzling jewelry boxes is marquetry. It’s a traditional art form that combines colored pieces made of brass, tortoiseshell, bone, pewter, ivory and other fine metals. Wooden jewelry boxes are made from thin strips of various types of wood like oak, maple, cherry, and mahogany to give the artisans a diverse palette of colors for the boxes.

These thin strips of wood, called veneers, are intricately prepared to show the natural beauty of wood grain patterns. Creating finely crafted wood veneers is an art that dates back centuries and requires special skills and tools. Some artisans use different species of wood in order to create elaborate designs and patterns and sometimes veneers are dyed or burnt for variety.

Wood grains are available in an assortment of grain patterns because of the diversity of species of trees. Common species of trees include cherry, maple, birch, and oak but rare and exotic ones such as eucalyptus and rosewood are often used. The colors of wood may be limited to their natural colors of red, brown, and yellow but adding some dyes can add visual texture and balance to the overall design.

Not only do they reduce the cost of materials but carefully selected and finished hard wood also give craftsmen a wide range of ideas when it comes to designing the boxes. These timbers, when cut, have repeated patterns that can be utilized for more dazzling decorative effects. And the use of wood veneers makes these boxes more durable and allows for curves and joints to appear more polished and smoother.

With so many types of richly colored and textured woods to choose from, there’s also an endless variety when it comes to designs and patterns. Indeed, wooden jewelry boxes make precious gifts any time of the year and they can surely make any occasion a truly memorable one. And with so many styles to choose from, you'll never run out of ideas for an exquisitely crafted and well-made box perfect in keeping both valuables and memories.

This article was written by Oliver Ocampo of MarqART Gift Shop. Our jewelry boxes feature evocative wood art designs, created from unique wood grain patterns and colors. 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!