Wedding Blog

Some people have been wondering where I got my ring’s box. I’m a modern girl, but sometimes I just love vintage accessories. (Take my ring, for example… or the whole ’getting-married-in-the-courthouse’ idea.) A while back, Miss Snapdragon featured an antique ring box that her [nasty jerk of an ex] fiance had bought to present her with her engagement ring. I decided that I needed one.

Mr. Mary Jane is always overwhelmingly supportive of me buying stuff I like (even impractical stuff!), but he was curious as to why I wanted such an item. After all, the ring was going to stay on my finger from here on out… why would I want a box? I figured that a fabulous ring deserved a fabulous box. That’s as far as I’d thought about it, really. My amazing, sparkly, unique ring deserved more lavish accommodations than the white pleather generic jewelry store box in which it came. Also, the photographer in me knew that it’d make a perfect prop for the plethora of ring-shots I planned to take. (Mr. MJ was definitely on board with that - he’s a photonerd too!) And (if you insist on practicality…) we could at least use the box to store our bands until the big day.

We don’t live in a very big city, and there aren’t a lot of kitschy jewelry/antique stores. Most just sell furniture and larger knick-knacks. We do have some second-hand and thrift-shops, but I was honestly too lazy to set aside hours for digging through what amounts to mostly random, worthless old junk. Sometimes I get in a mood for “going thrifting”, but as a rule I find that it’s never worthwhile to go in to a second-hand store expecting to find a specific item. So after only briefly considering my local options, I turned to my friend, the Internet.

Specifically, I went to eBay. I searched for keywords like “vintage ring box” and “antique ring box”. I also found the Jewelry Boxes category and tried simply searching for “ring”. There were also tons of results for “art deco ring box”. I found a large selection of ring boxes in lots of shapes, colors, and conditions.

[Sources are all eBay sellers as follows: Top (L to R): maisonrive, sirlotsalucky, icantiques. Middle (L to R): carbonspot, 716tjn, californiacoppercrafts. Bottom (L to R): merriantiques, p_parsons2001, locomolife.]

The boxes in the photos above ranged anywhere from $5 to $150, with most of them being under $20 with shipping. The one at bottom right is a “trinket” box - a really small, plush-lined box made to hold any kind of special little item. I would have probably bought the cute pink and ivory box in the top left corner, but I completely forgot about the auction and it ended before I remembered to bid. Oops!

I fell completely in l o v e with one that had a satiny pink interior… but the $14.00 starting bid ballooned to over $65! Such are the trials and tribulations of eBay.

When I finally found mine (after a few weeks of searching), I got the ring box (in really good shape) for $8 plus reasonable shipping.

It even came with an added bonus: this crazy pearl and blue gemstone cocktail ring! (It’s definitely not valuable, but it’s kind of a neat vintage costume jewelry piece.)

And look how comfy my rings look nestled inside it!

If you’re thinking about buying a ring box (or anything) on eBay, keep these tips in mind.

1. Be patient.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for the first time you search, wait a few days and try again. eBay is constantly updating. It took me weeks to find a box I liked at an agreeable price.

2. Be aware of shipping costs.
eBay is full of “deals” in which the item costs $0.99, but the shipping is $15.

3. Look closely at the photos.
If there is no photo, request one from the seller. If they’re blurry, ask for clearer ones. The photos are the only “proof” you have that the thing you’re bidding on is similar to what you envision.

4. Be aware of seller location and feedback.
I’ve successfully bought several things from international sellers as far away as Hong Kong. Just be sure to check seller feedback and payment terms before you bid, and be willing to wait as much as 3 weeks for your purchase to arrive.

5. Don’t get caught up in a bidding frenzy.
If the price climbs too high, take a step back and evaluate what you want to pay. Don’t over-spend your budget by getting possessive! Refer back to my first tip!!

An ornate, unique ring box would be a great alternative to a ring bearer’s pillow in a vintage-themed wedding. If we were going that route, I’d definitely want to incorporate my beautiful box into the ceremony. (In fact, I still might.) Or if you’re one of those gals who doesn’t plan to keep wearing her engagement ring after the wedding, it would be secure and cozy surrounded by some classy padded satin or velvet.

Would you have a use for something like this? Is a ring or jewelry box important to you to hold your most precious bling?