History of Jewelry Boxes

If you are a lover of jewelry boxes (as I am), are you not ever wondering, from time to time, when the first ever jewelry box was actually made? Will it help you to appreciate them even more if you knew where they came from and how they basically came into existence? If your answer is yes, then this article might just be the information details that you will need.

So, let us start the journey of the history of jewelry boxes.

The National Geographic has reported that humankind may have really started wearing jewelries as far back as time can take us, nearly or almost 75,000 years ago. If this is so, then we have an essential gap between any jewelry’s first appearance and the needed technology to construct the box so that it can hold the jewelry.

Now, if one might try to think about it, any reference that will lead us to the world’s oldest jewelry box is not found easily. However, we can assume, on the other hand, that as humanity evolved, and since not only are jewelries the only existing benefits today, but many goods that brought on early commerce as well, jewelry boxes were constructed to house and protect them all. Actually, the first ever jewelry box that can be considered as one, may be believed to have been a ceramic jar, which was what a common receptacle used to hold goods in those ancient times.

When, commerce started to prosper in the Mediterranean as far back as 7000 years ago, the area of the Tigris-Euphrates River emerged with civilization. In addition, with the advent of civilization came also the need to improve life by engaging in bartering, and eventually buying and selling of different goods. Those ceramic jars were used to carry dried goods safely to even faraway business places. Moreover, if jewelries were included in a certain transport, they would also be placed securely in those ceramic jars as well.

Then, as civilizations evolved and became more sophisticated, it still seem reasonable to conclude and assume that jewelry boxes begun to replace those earthenware containers. Then, since the Egyptians were one very sophisticated people and were fond of personal adornments that also included jewelries, they were also concerned with the development of these boxes.

Even for their home use, the Egyptians liked to use a carved wooden box rather than the ceramic jugs to secure their jewelries. Therefore, we can conclude that maybe it was really the Egyptians who are responsible in inventing the first ever jewelry box.

But then at the end of the day, no matter who first conceptualized the first ever jewelry box, which was once a common item, will not that be important anymore. What is essential is that steps were already taken to embellish its exteriors. When they are made of wood, carvings were already added. And sometimes, precious metals or fine ivory would also be embedded into the carvings of the elite class.

Finally, jewelry boxes has started to be manufactured using  many materials. Leather covered boxes, some maybe crystal, and precious metals such as silver were also used in creating them. But still, traditional materials like those mentioned are still used in jewelry containers even today.

So, instead of just using our jewelry boxes, now that we know their origin of existence, we will be able to learn how to use them properly and appreciate their presence in making our lives and precious gems organized.