I have two jewelry boxes along with a drawer full of jewelry and jewelry pretty much in every nook and corner of my house. I'm still waiting for that wonderful amour my DH keeps promising me. I know I'll get it some day.

While jewelry boxes are as important as jewelry, they are pretty essential. Author Joanne Wiertella obviously agrees, thus her book The Jewel Box Book: The Definitive Guide to American Art Metal Jewelry Boxes 1900-1925. You can find out more about antique jewelry boxes from this press release:

Jewelry boxes for M'Lady were a particularly popular item upon which was expressed these fanciful flowers. On Nouveau jewel boxes one sees the bold beauty of the flower displayed from infinite perspective. In fact, flora of all sorts, flowering and non-, fairly burst forth in three-dimensional glory from the molded metal. However, the artist was not simply expressing admiration for nature by randomly adding a bunch of pretty flowers to a design. The flowers themselves held a special place of symbolic honor during this period and conveyed an importance or significance lost on us today. Each flower type represented a long history of myth and meaning. Today, we still share a common cultural bond with our grandparents and great-grandparent, in that Roses signify love and lilies purity. But do we remember that, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, love was also expressed with Myrtle, Creeping Willow and Ambrosia, as well as with Roses? Do we currently equate, "affection" with Mossy Saxifrage, Pear, and Sorrel? Or know that "marriage" was indicated by Ivy?

Or, go right to her web site for sample pages and more information.