Jewelry boxes are more than mere places to store jewelry. For centuries they have been treasured gift items, and they have been particularly prized as heirloom gifts as well. Let's take a look at the history of the jewelry box and also consider its role as an heirloom gift.

The best jewelry boxes have been passed down for generations. These boxes are considered valuable not only because of the jewelry stored in them but also for the memories that they symbolize and in many case, for the beautiful workmanship of the boxes themselves.

How far back do they go? Jewelry has been worn by humans since the Stone Age and jewelry boxes have been around since the ancient era. Jewelry boxes were originally known as "jewel caskets." The early jewel caskets were made out of metal, and finished with gold, silver, copper and ivory. They were valuable items, in themselves, even without the jewelry inside them.

Prior to our modern, industrialized era jewelry boxes were hand-made by craftsman and each one was unique. When the techniques of mass production were adopted, then jewelry boxes, like other metal items, could be produced in industrial quantities. The boxes became affordable for a growing middle class that was starting to get a taste for luxurious products.

In the first years of the 20th Century American women yearned for the fashions of the world's big cities and were able to get fulfillment of this wish in the popular mail order catalogs of the day. Jewelry boxes became a popular "fashion" purchase in the mail order trade. Jewelry stores also carried the boxes as well.

The increase in international travel that took place in the 20th Century also contributed to another use of the jewelry box; the boxes were bought as souvenirs of the exotic places that their owners had visited.

The tradition of giving jewelry boxes as heirlooms has gone on for centuries and it is still going on today. Many consider a jewelry box as a place where they can store a lifetime of jewelry received from their loved ones and then pass it on to the next generation.

Heirloom boxes are given on a number of occasions during the year, and they include Christmas, weddings, anniversaries, engagements and graduations. Gift holidays, like Christmas, and other "milestone" dates are times when jewelry and jewelry boxes are given to "mark" the occasion.

The earliest  boxes or jewelry caskets were made of metal and were built to hold small trinkets, but modern boxes have grown in size, use other materials and serve a variety of purposes. Jewelry boxes today are crafted from wood, leather, and fabric. They are used for the storage and presentation of individual jewelry items, such as engagement rings,pearl necklaces and other pieces of jewelry, including rare heirlooms. Larger wood jewelry chests and floor standing armories are used for the storage of entire jewelry collections.

Woodboxes are the most popular when it comes to heirloom gifts. Reed and Barton is a popular maker of heirloom jewelry boxes and I personally use a mahogany Reed & Barton jewelry chest that belonged to my husband's grandmother.

Another quality manufacturer is Constantine. They construct their boxes solely by hand and take as much as 20 days to complete a single box. Their boxes are crafted from exotic hardwoods and are lined with specially treated anti-tarnish fabrics. They make exceptional gifts for Christmas and other important occasions.

If you are want to hold your jewelry beautifully and preserve the memories associated with the jewelry, you should consider getting a jewelry box.