WOODCARVING & ACCESSORIES

Carving Wooden Jewelry Boxes with Different Types of Wood

Wooden jewelry boxes of good quality do hold the potential of becoming heirlooms. They last a lifetime thanks to the strength they possess. There are many ways to decorate their surfaces.

Carving, the use of embellishments, and even Marquetry can be done on them. There are many kinds of woods that can be used in the making of a jewelry box. One popular, locally available wood is Mahogany.

It is primarily used in jewelry cases for its rot-resistant abilities. When polished this wood has a great sheen to it. Craftsmen, amateur or professional, prefer Mahogany for the simple reason that it can be worked on with a variety of tools. It is largely used for the making of men’s valets since it exudes a masculine aura.

Easily found in the United States, Ebony is dark in color and gives jewelry boxes a great depth. Because of the density this wood possesses, it sinks when placed in water. This makes it really strong and durable.

If your home is done up in antique or classic styles, then an ebony jewelry box will fit right in. These lids can be carved in many ways. They can even be buffed differently giving it that vintage look.

Some of the popular designs are stacked boxes or those that come with drawers and removable trays. White Ash jewelry boxes are light in color. Craftsmen opt for this wood because it can be bent in many ways when steamed. This makes it the right wood to use for boxes that are curved or come in many shapes.

White Ash has its weight to strength ratio equally balanced and this makes it strong. It does not have a distinctive odor of its own even though it is an open-pored wood. As a wood, it is strong, shock-resistant and very flexible.

A number of jewelry boxes are made from Cherry wood. Its heartwood varies from light pink to reddish brown and its sapwood is a lighter shade. As it ages, all cherry wood becomes darker adding to its elegance. Because of its smooth texture, this wood is the best one to use if you want to carve on your box.

Cherry wood shows off a number of finishes, but the best ones are always the natural variety. Cherry wood boxes that have been designed traditionally can be highlighted with brass accents while the more modernistic versions can be done in silver. Gum streaks are best used to highlight cherry wood boxes.

The lightest of wood boxes are those made of Maple wood. There are times when White Maple is bleached before polishing to make it lighter. Curly and bird’s eye Maple is used largely in the creation of some decorative items.

It is unfortunate though that Maple is a single growth tree. What will happen is that when its supply is exhausted, its prices are going to skyrocket, matching other rare trees.

This article was written by Ruth D’Souza Prabhu of MarqART Gift Shop. Our jewelry boxes are original works of art, no two creations are the same. Each wood shown has its own unique wood grain pattern and color. MarqART comes from combining the words marquetry (wood inlay) + Art (a creation of beauty) an apt name for our marqart wood design products. A fine addition to your dressing table or as a gift. Please visit http://www.marqartgiftshop.com to browse & buy exotic jewelry boxes that will give you a lifetime of pleasure!
Carving The 5 Minute Wizard Part 3