Egyptian Mother of Pearl Jewelry Box

The blue, green, and purple inlay is natural abalone Paua shell, set into a beech wood box handcrafted in Egypt. I like the combination of a familiar wooden keepsake box with such an iridescent surface. I’d leave some space around it on a dresser so the shell doesn’t have to compete with five other decorative objects.

At 13 × 9 × 6 cm, this is a small keepsake box, not a solution for an expanding jewelry collection. I’d use it for a few frequently worn pieces or a small memento worth taking out of a drawer. The compact size also suits a bedside table where a larger jewelry case would take over.

Each box varies naturally in shell color, so the exact balance of those tones won’t be identical across boxes. That suits someone who enjoys the variations in natural materials. If you’re trying to match a precise shade of bedding or furniture, though, I’d choose something more predictable.