small boxes

Dazzling on a sleek, dark square, a mosaic diamond reveals an ancient craft technique. Lacquerware was brought to Thailand from China centuries ago; today Thai artisans have developed their own unique styles. Nantana Sompamitre crafts a decorative box of dramatic beauty. She carves the mango wood into the desired shape and coats it with lacquer. Once dried it is polished, and another coat is applied – up to twenty times – before as many six coats of pure lacquer are present. Next, eggshells are cleaned and cracked into small pieces. Sompamitre arranges them in the desired pattern on a fresh coat of lacquer. The lid is lacquered twice more and sanded in water until the eggshells appear.

Elegant butterflies explore a lush floral garden against a black background on this decorative jewelry box. Asunta Pelaez paints the beautiful motifs by hand on the inside of glass panes. The box opens to reveal a sleek back interior.

A beautiful embellished floral design shimmers brightly on this jewelry box from Arti Sharma of India. Black cotton fabric is used as a base for the gorgeous multi-colored bead work that is enhanced by a border of silver colored zari thread. Five sparkling glass stones adorn the centers of each beaded circle, adding to the glamorous appeal. The box opens to reveal a fully lined black cotton interior that is the perfect size for storing small pieces of jewelry.

Lavish floral motifs on sleek black bring their own charisma to this jewelry box. Khalid Ali crafts the piece of mango wood, covering it in brass repoussé bathed in nickel. He lines the box with velvet and adds a lift out tray for smaller treasures. He then adds ornate handles, a mirror inside the lid, and a latch that can by locked.

Barro negro or "black clay" has been used for centuries in the Mexican state of Oaxaca to craft beautiful decorative and utilitarian objects like this petite, but stunning mini jewelry box designed to store small accessories. The heart-shaped ceramic box is hand-crafted and hand-carved by artisans Fernando and Magali Pedro preserving the barro negro tradition.

Combining the tradition of reverse-painted glass with a modern aesthetic, Peruvian artisan Asunta Pelaez creates a fascinating jewelry chest. Crafted of wood in a gold-tone finish, the chest is decorated with glass panels that are painted gold and black. Two drawers at the bottom open to store small jewelry items while the chest's top lid opens to reveal an interior with a mirror.