JEWELLERY

12 beautiful jewellery boxes to buy now

Forget plain leather — your jewellery box should be as fancy as the trinkets it holds, says Style’s jewellery editor Jessica Diamond

Sunday December 12 2021, 12.01am, The Sunday Times

Brass boxes, £220 each; rachelentwistle.co.uk

Many of us have memories of delving into our mother’s or grandmother’s jewellery box and remembering most of what was inside, but what of the actual box? Plain leather or wood has been the default setting for jewellery boxes for, well, ever, so thank goodness, then, that a band of jewellers have taken matters into their own hands, making boxes more memorable for future generations if nothing else.

Top of my wish list are Jessica McCormack’s reconditioned antique boxes that are hand-embroidered inside in exquisite playful detail — think rainbows, hot-air balloons and underwater scenes. In her latest collaboration with artists the Haas Brothers, there’s even a secret drawer with a more, how to put it, “adult” theme. For a more affordable option, look to Flora Bhattachary’s collaboration with Woodbury & Co — I’m particularly taken with the bright yellow satin box lined with Liberty-print fabric and touches of embroidery.

Velvet is huge — not just on the inside of boxes but outside too — and Sophie Bille Brahe’s are gorgeously soft to the touch and come in muted colours, while Roxanne First’s velvet hearts and Sophie Keegan’s tasselled options are the perfect size for keeping on your bedside table. Meanwhile, queen of the colour-clash Bea Bongiasca has just launched her offering — 12 microsuede options in delicious combos such as pale blue and red, or pale pink and yellow. All you need now are some showstopping jewels to put inside!