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Jewellery box

a) Jewellery in a bank safe ?

The object we offer is made of faux leather in a rectangular shape to escape the standardisation of jewellery boxes, “Made in China”. You have the possibility to find decorations for almost every imaginable event: Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and of course we can apply your photo on the lid of this jewellery box. Just choose the jewellery box with the desired decoration on Gifts-custopolis.com.

Any jewel, brilliant, necklace, brooch, ring, diamond, pearl and any jewel, prestigious or not, deserve a lot of care, delicacy, precaution

Of course, we could put our treasures in a safe deposit box at the bank, but then we would not be able to enjoy them every day nor contemplate them when we want to. So a case, a box, are in my opinion the best solutions, to receive and preserve these various ornaments, moreover these containers are dedicated to this function. It would be a real pity and not very rewarding to store these “precious” items, as Gollum said in the Lord of the Rings, in anything: like a simple cardboard box, a woollen stocking, or even a plastic bag. Jewellery boxes come in many different shapes and materials: solid gold, gilded bronze or glass, and these containers can also have many different shapes. According to the prestigious Drouot house, some jewellery boxes date back to the time of the priests of ancient Egypt who would have fashioned them in order to collect cult objects.

b) Perfectly safe from moisture

Others see in them the mark of the Templars or the Freemasons who used these containers to conceal compasses, mallets, small trowels, crosses and cords. “In any case, the existence of jewellery boxes is clearly attested as early as ancient Rome where, in families, the woman was the custodian of the particular seal of the house which served to seal the cases containing the precious objects. Indeed, as a Ladies’ Manual from 1833 reminds us, precious stones and gold jewellery must be perfectly protected from humidity and preserved from any dirty or greasy contact: “It is advisable to rub them from time to time with a piece of white or chamois leather” and then place them in the “jewellery box”. In French, the word “écrin”, synonymous with “boîte à bijoux” (jewellery box), is originally derived from the Latin word “crines”, meaning “hair”, and was used to preserve souvenirs made of hair. Later on, the use of Jewellery boxes was extended to include all the useful and necessary accessories for the embellishment of the head: earrings, necklaces and combs. Nowadays we add bracelets, chains, rings, etc. “

c) History

In the West, one of the best-known ancestors of the jewellery box is the shrine, a stone, wooden or metal coffin in which the remains of a dead person are enclosed. Is it really necessary to dissociate its uses, whether sacred or profane, when we know to what extent emeralds, diamonds, rubies and other sapphires are still today the object of a fascination that sometimes borders on devotion?

“At the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, their sizes diminished, allowing them to be covered with precious materials, whether fabric, enamel or stones. Visually, all these boxes lost their coffin-like appearance and took on the shape of small monuments evoking chapels or churches. Also at this time, cast iron was combined with pushed, stamped or embossed metal. The jewellery box then became less aristocratic.

d) Popularisation

The privilege of the aristocrats at the beginning and for hundreds of years, the popularisation of jewellery boxes did not begin until the beginning of the 19th century following the industrialisation of many manufacturing processes which became factories and of course production lines. Thus, more modest families could afford jewellery boxes to preserve jewellery and other precious items passed down from parents, grandparents, great-grandparents or any other family member in a more permanent way.

However, some objects inherited from a distant and not always shameful past are frowned upon today, such as ivory jewellery. It should also be pointed out that there are simple jewellery boxes without compartments and other jewellery boxes with many compartments, of course the prices vary greatly. There are also musical jewellery boxes. Today we find music boxes at all prices, music boxes that have become gadgets that many people know. Music boxes were the only instrument that allowed you to listen to a melody if you were not a musician! The music box had its heyday in the early 19th century.

e) Large selection

From simple wood covered with velvet, very popular with the Americans, to the gilded bronze and lacquered marquetry highly appreciated under Napoleon III, via esoteric versions in zinc and tortoiseshell, so many avenues were explored! Under the Second Empire, for example, the size of these cases was reduced, while at the same time they were extravagantly decorated with gold leaf and ivory. In comparison, American jewellery boxes of the late 19th century appear more austere, and Victorian English boxes are often larger and more padded inside. Decorated with straight-edged geometric designs, they may have only a simple engraved cartouche as a touch of folly. Another key period for jewellery boxes, at the dawn of women’s emancipation, was Art Nouveau and its “whip” shapes.

f ) rare and precious

Made of regula, copper, gold or even silver, the boxes of these years are often decorated with silk or satin. Because of their delicate workmanship and fragile materials, the boxes in their original state are almost impossible to find. There were, however, many of them, after they became popular at the turn of the 1900s. But in the months following 1918, they simply disappeared from manufacturers’ catalogues, to be replaced by boxes made of imitation ivory and celluloid, the famous ivory that the English call “French Ivory”. The limitation of materials and the changes in codes brought about by the art deco movement resulted in an extreme simplification of the ornamentation. Lack of imagination or generalised paranoia, the jewellery boxes of the 20th century seem to have been supplanted by bank vaults. There is no need to take so many precautions, because the most daring will tell you that no secret is inviolable… *

Not everyone wants to celebrate a birthday. But this jewellery box decorated with the birthday label, birthday gifts to personalise, birthday gifts, which you choose and thanks to your nice message, the most reluctant will change their mind for this unusual birthday gift idea

Bibliography

translated from French * Coffrets et boîtes à bijoux: la gazette Drouot, Published on 27 May 2011, by Dimitri Joannides

https://www.gazette-drouot.com/article/coffrets-et-boites-a-bijoux/6377

Denis Hanchar Original and classic gifts during every event of the year

Travel chess games – €6.90
on 1 October 2023 at 14 h 14 min
Progressively the movement of certain pieces is modified and, with a few details, all the really significant rules of the game (in particular the optional advance of the P, the prise en passant, the promotion and the castling) are acquired at the end of the XVth century. From Spain, the chess scepter passed to Italy (16th and 17th centuries), then to France (18th century), Great Britain and Germany (19th and early 20th century). Since the Second World War, for men, it has been the almost permanent property of the Soviet Union and then of Russia, whose supremacy, over a period of sixty years, was only really broken by the American Bobby Fischer (1972-1975). Before the Second World War, the best player in the world, Vera Menchik-Stevenson, was British. From the creation of a women’s world championship in 1949 until the disappearance of the USSR, the crowned champions (L. Rudenko, E. Bykova, O. Rubtsova, N. Gaprindashvili, M. Tchibourdanitzé and their rivals, K. Zvorikina, N. Alexandria, N. Iosséliani and E. Akhmilovskaya) were all Soviets. In the following years, players of other origins, such as the Chinese Xie Jun, Zhu Chen, Xuhua, the Hungarian-American Susan Polgar, the Bulgarian Antonoeta Stefanova, would appear. A list of famous men interested and sometimes passionate about chess would include hundreds of names. We can only quote those of whom we have very good games: J.-J. Rousseau, A. de Musset, Tolstoy, Meyrinck, Lewis Carroll, Lenin, Piatigorsky, D. Oistrakh, S. Prokofiev, M. Duchamp, V. Nabokov, John Paul II.
Necklace with ID Tag to customise – €8.90
on 1 October 2023 at 14 h 14 min
You are looking for a Valentine’s Day gift idea. A necklace with a personalized photo on a military plaque is a great gift. it’s great to think back to the good times spent together. Choose one of your romantic photos as: the two of us on the beach, the two of us at the top of the mountain climbed during the last holidays or the two of us during the last music festival. A photo and the first name of your partner is also a very good idea for a romantic gift: everyone will have their necklace with the photo and / or the first name of their partner. Do you want a necklace with a photo of your children? This necklace with personalized military plaque will be perfect.You will always have your children near you. It’s also a gift idea for grandma or grandpa’s birthday. A good idea for a small Christmas gift from your wife or spouse. Do you want a necklace with a photo of your favorite animal or your pet? We print your best photo on the necklace plate. A nice photo of your faithful companion: dog, cat, horse, rabbit, hamster, parrot … Your logo, your motto, your cult sentence, your favorite saying,your maxim, your master of thought on a necklace is very original. Your favorite landscape, your travel dream, your collector car… Everything is possible!
Giant Wooden Dice Set – €8.90
on 1 October 2023 at 14 h 14 min
Dice are used in many games. The best known are played with 2 dice like Craps, with 3 dice like 421 or with 5 dice like Yahtzee or Yams. Reiner Knizia, a world-renowned German game designer, reports that he has found 150 different dice games, which he explains in his book Dice Games Properly. Dice were found in the Indus civilisation in 2400 BC. Dice identical to those we know today have been found, with 6 sides and 6 small holes. Generally cubic with 6 sides usually numbered from 1 to 6 and therefore the values of the opposite sides is equal to 7. Dice have also been used as objects of divination. The Greeks claimed to be the originators of dice. According to Sophocles, the dice were invented by Palamedes, a Greek hero in Troy during the siege. Archaeologists have found dice in Troy. Ancient Greek vases also show Trojan war heroes playing dice. However, the dice we offer are larger than usual. These giant dice will please many players, both young and old. These dice are therefore perfect as birthday presents or as gifts for a party with friends. An original wooden game gift, to learn many dice games and have hours of fun.
Personalised wanted – €9.90
on 1 October 2023 at 14 h 14 min
Our most wanted poster is a personalised poster similar to the posters of the Far West time. At the time, they were designed to inform the public of the search for a criminal. The most wanted poster includes a photograph, the name of the wanted person and a few special features. The notice is accompanied by an offer of a reward for any help in finding the person. During the conquest of the West, many bounty hunters sought out bandits to obtain this reward. Here’s a fun and original decoration gift: a “wanted” poster like in the time of the bounty hunters in the Wild West. For the film and Western fans. A nostalgic poster like in the film classics with the famous cowboys played by John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. A wanted poster personalised with a picture of the person of your choice is a nice and original decoration gift. To offer as a gift for a teenager’s room, for the interior decoration of moviegoers or as a humour gift for the person of your choice… Birthday, retirement, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, … You will easily find a good reason to put your boss, colleague, friend, son or wife in the spotlight. A fun gift for Father’s Day or Christmas.
Dexterity Game Woody – €9.90
on 1 October 2023 at 14 h 14 min
The puzzles, an original wooden game gift, are from Greece. The first puzzle game dates back to the third century. This gift idea for teenagers, young people, mothers or men is an unusual gift that can be played alone or in groups. But what is a puzzle? It’s a game that starts from a situation that is usually random and disordered and ends in a well-defined order, following predetermined rules. There are different types of puzzles, geometric games (i.e. mathematical games), logogram games, numerical games, card games, so the best-known puzzle is undoubtedly success, etc… But the best-known puzzles are the Puzzle and the Rubik’s Cube… The first puzzles were called “Stomachion”, a square game divided into 14 parts, which had to be put together in a predetermined order and could be combined in many different shapes. Puzzles were very popular at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Professor Hoffmann published a book with the title: “Puzzles old and new.” It described 40 puzzles with all the secret mechanical details. This puzzle book has become a reference for this exciting type of game. Wood is undoubtedly the most suitable material for puzzles, despite the fact that it is easy to work with, such as plastic.