Edwardian sterling silver jewellery box made in 1901 by William Hutton & Sons

Hallmarked in Chester in 1907 by Nathan & Hayes, this handsome, Edwardian, Antique Sterling Silver Jewellery Box, features a hinged lid which is lined and has spaces for six rings, a...

Hallmarked in London in 1898 by William Hutton & Sons, this handsome, Victorian, Antique Sterling Silver Biscuit Box, stands on four ball feet, and feat...

Hallmarked in London in 1831 by Charles Reily & George Storer, this very handsome, Antique, William IV period, Sterling Silver Box, is plain in design, with reed borders, and an engr...

Hallmarked in London in 1903 by William Comyns, this attractive, Edwardian, Antique Sterling Silver Jewellery Box, is oval in shape, and features cast and applied floral detailed fee...

Pretty European Classical 800 silver keepsake box, ca 1940. Rectangular. Cover flat and hinged with tapering tab. Sides fluted and engraved with fl...

Offered is a stunning Sheffield silver keepsake box dating to 1900, with associated hallmark. This small box includes a clean interior and rounded corners. The box is free of names or initials, but would have been used to house keepsakes such as jewelry or cufflinks. A well maintained, elegant piece, this antique silver box is an excellent addition to any silver collection. Trinket or keepsake boxes have taken on many forms since their first conception in ancient times. However their purpose remains the same; to store jewelry and other items precious to the owner. Originally, these boxes were used specifically for jewelry. These were in common use as early as 5000 BC in Ancient Egypt, when the majority of Egyptians, both male and female, wore jewelry. Boxes were used to keep these gemstone encrusted items safe. In Ancient Rome, jewelry was a status symbol. Rings and brooches were utilized to represent ones status in society. Again, boxes were needed for security and storage purposes. Finding early examples of these are quite rare. Victorian and Edwardian examples of trinket boxes are far more common. This is because owning jewellery was a luxury until the Victorian era- let alone possessing so much a box was needed to store it all. Fine jewelry and other items became available to the masses after the industrial revolution due to the reduction in production costs. This led to a demand for trinket boxes, which were much smaller than jewelry boxes and therefore better suited to the needs of the middle class who did not yet possess an abundance of jewelry. In Victorian households, collectables and other items of interested were also stashed inside these boxes. This is why they are known as trinket or keepsake boxes, rather than just jewelry boxes, although of course jewelry was also stored in them. Trinket boxes were produced in large numbers around this time. Many were lined with colored plush or velvet or rich wood. More elaborate designs had interior divisions and trays for rings and other pieces of jewellery. It was also common to see trinket boxes so small that they could only contain one item, such as a single ring. Ornate exteriors were created to reflect the value of the trinket boxes contents. The Edwardian era saw the introduction of new styles of trinket box. These included small circular or oblong boxes...

Edwardian Classical sterling silver trinket box. Made by Howard & Co. in New York in 1901. Oval with straight sides and flat hinged cover. Leafing scrollwor...

Edwardian sterling silver cigar box. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York in 1922. Rectangular with straight sides; cover hinged with gently curved top. On sides, alternating reeded and...