It’s that time of year when a young man’s fantasy becomes: “What am I going to get my girl for Christmas?” While jewelry is the typical choice, a jewelry box can be an equally nice gift. It’s a little out of the ordinary, but buying a jewelry box for that special someone shows that you’ve put a little extra effort into their gift.

A couple of things to remember: First, just like jewelry, this is an area where quality counts. A cheap, flimsy box with the wrong type of lining can cause jewelry to tarnish faster. You want to find a sturdy box, preferably made of solid wood, with a fabric lining. There are also smaller glass or ceramic boxes that might be good for teens, but buying anything but wood for a woman’s large jewelry collection is just asking for trouble.

Second, don’t limit yourself to the boxes that the jewelry store carries where you bought your last piece of jewelry. There are many woodworkers all over the United States who make jewelry boxes by hand. These boxes are usually sold through local gift shops and not through jewelry chains. Also, art galleries often have beautiful boxes, and of course you can find them online.

But what kind of box should you get? There are still many options available among the styles of wooden jewelry boxes, jewelry chests, and jewelry shelves. Just answer these three questions to find the perfect box for your perfect match:

How many jewels does she have?
A large collection of smaller pieces, such as earrings and rings, requires a large box with several smaller compartments; think two or three drawers with dividers inside. A smaller collection could benefit from a jewelry rack instead of a box. A jewelry rack can be placed on a dresser or hung on a wall to save space. Some racks rotate for easy access to jewelry. Even if your jewelry collection grows later, a jewelry rack will come in handy for your favorite and therefore most worn pieces.

What kind of jewelry will she wear?
If you have a lot of necklaces and only a few earrings, you could get by with a necklace rack for hanging necklaces and a small box for the earrings. However, having thicker bracelets and pins means that a box with larger, more open compartments may be in order. Many jewelry boxes now have areas for specific types of jewelry: soft slots for rings, side compartments for hanging necklaces and bracelets, even long compartments for watches.

How do you want the box to fit in with the other furniture in the house?

Most people make the mistake of thinking that a jewelry box always has to match the furniture in the room. When we show customers exotic wood jewelry boxes in our stores, many of these customers inevitably say, “But my bedroom furniture is oak… that box doesn’t match!” When you choose a box that accents your furniture rather than matches it, you allow the craftsmanship of the box and the beauty of the wood to stand out on their own. The box becomes a showpiece in the room instead of blending in with the rest of the woodwork. Also, remember that the jewelry box you buy today can be a timeless display of craftsmanship that will be passed down to future generations as an heirloom.

One more thing: it’s bad luck to give someone an empty box. Adding a new piece of jewelry to the inside of the box will complete your gift!