General Information:
- Approximate Dimensions: 14.75 inches long x 8.25 inches wide x 1.125 inches tall/deep
- Weight: 2 lb 0.3 oz
- Era: This box is believed to be Mid Century, dating to between 1948 and 1954.
- Manufacturer: “B.P.” as marked on the closure tabs
- Markings: No formal maker’s marks aside from “B.P.” on both closure tabs; research does specify who this maker is.
- Buyer Notes: This box is altogether one of a kind, as it was custom designed and produced for ArtCarved’s traveling jewelry salesmen to use as a showcase for the manufacturer’s newest bridal rings. Such display boxes were intended to impress jewelry retailers throughout the United States, helping to illustrate the vision of the rings to such retailers in hopes that the stores would place orders with ArtCarved. Jewelry cases that boast manufacturer names, such as this one, are harder and harder to find, and are considered quite collectible given their rarity and featured brand name(s). The inclusion of the bridal “photo” in the center of the ring tray adds a wholly unique feel to the case, elevating it to a functional advertisement of romance. The couple pictured embodies many of the aesthetic and fashion-forward standards of the 1950s, beckoning a robust and conceptual ideal customer base for the rings that would have originally been displayed within the box. This box features daintier slots which were originally intended to house ladies’ engagement rings and wedding bands, as well as larger slots which were originally intended to house grooms’ wedding bands. At the time that this box was made, men sported diamonds and gemstones just as often as women, and it is likely that this salesman’s case displayed diamond rings for both sexes. Please note that the print of the bridal couple maintains its original early plastic built-in protective covering, which shows some wear commensurate with its materiality, age and use, including traces of its original adhesive around the perimeter and some dust between the covering and the print.
Exterior:
- Exterior Materials: Pebbled leatherette-wrapped wood hard case
- Exterior Colors: Black
- Exterior Construction & Conditions: Light to moderate wear commensurate with age and use, particularly at the corners and edges; the base exhibits something of a seam-like line that gives the impression that it once was designed to open and fold back to prop up for viewing. If this was, indeed, ever the design, it currently neither folds or props, nor functions as a self-standing display, but instead functions simply as a box.
Interior:
- Interior Lid Materials: Matte silk or linen lining with very light padding
- Interior Lid Color: Matte black
- Interior Lid Conditions: No pilling, frays or tears
- Interior Hinge Covering Material: Ribbed royal blue material, likely silk
- Interior Hinge Covering Conditions: No pilling, frays or tears
- Interior Tray Materials: Rich, deep cobalt velvet
- Inner Ring Slot Materials: Coordinating ribbed royal blue lining; some slots show picking from progs, stones and ring settings over the past 70+ years of use
- Ring Slot Count: Forty-Eight (48)
- Ring Slot Average Dimensions: The slots comprising the two outermost columns (20 total slots) measure about 20.5 mm across, while the slots comprising the two adjoining inner columns (20 total slots) measure about 18.5 mm across. The innermost arrangement of eight slots below the bridal portrait measure about 22.2 mm across x about 2.85 mm wide. Slot depths range between 7.5 mm and 11.4 mm.
Closure:
- Hardware Materiality: Base metal push tabs; hinges analogous in material though covered on interior
- Closure System: Double push tab closures; lies flat when open
- Closure Conditions: Push tabs open and close with with a ‘click’ and without resistance; extremely light, commensurate wear to metal
Specifications:
All specifications, including but not limited to the measurements, age, origins, and material compositions are supplied in good faith as professional estimations constructed using professional grade tools, years of learned and honed skills, educational resources and academic scholarship, and refined research methods. Regardless of our confidence in our descriptions and the photographs deemed viable extensions of these descriptions, we cannot guarantee the definitiveness, faultlessness, or exactitude beyond our knowledge and expertise. Kindly keep in mind that all secondhand wares (vintage, antique and estate goods) are conveyed in "as-is" condition, and consequently bear conditional wear in both matter and in operation commensurate with age and use.
The Story:
ArtCarved is a 20th century trademark of the famed J.R. Wood & Sons, a jewelry house that reigned in the jewelry world for over a century before eventually being purchased by Lenox, Inc. in 1970. J.R. Wood was established in 1850 in Brooklyn, New York, initiating operation out of a 600 square foot factory space. The company surged in popularity for both their timeless and elaborate designs, initially making their debut onto the jewelry scene with the creation of their iconic engagement ring named “The Victoria” after the era’s most famous monarch, Queen Victoria herself.
The company first used the name “ArtCarved” by 1920 as an ode to the artful carving techniques they employed. In 1919, they opened a new factory of over 50,000 square feet, a notable architectural achievement made of concrete and steel construction. A catalogue from the same year boasted of the new space that,
"…practically all of the walls are glass. The interior is white enameled throughout. Thirty-five telephones connect the various departments together with electric elevators, signal horns and bells. Automatic electric clocks and time stamps are installed in all departments so that accurate costs of manufacturing can be determined on all work. The steel vault is twenty-five feet wide by eighteen feet deep with a door weighing seven tons. The factory contains... floor space with ample accommodations for one thousand workmen… [including] …shower baths, reading and recreation rooms… as well as a grocery store and restaurant where all food is sold at cost to our employees.”
Soon, the newest technology paved the way for state of the art jewelry manufacturing by J.R. Wood, as the invention of seamless-soldered rings allowed the makers to produce pieces with astounding detail and efficiency. Throughout the height of the Art Deco and retro period of the 20s, 30s and 40s, the jewelry house dominated the market for the masses without sacrificing craftsmanship and fine design.
With the advent of World War II, ArtCarved seized on the opportunity to market bridal sets that included an engagement and wedding band for her with an additional corresponding wedding band for him. By ensuring a complete set in one immediate purchase, couples could marry straight away and endure the war knowing they each had an abiding sweetheart awaiting their reunion-- of course, the ArtCarved rings on their fingers served as tangible boosts of courage and love. With a marketing mission to foster joy in broken times and celebrate the purity and power of love, ArtCarved became an iconic anchor of hope during the war.
During the post-war years, ArtCarved continued to soar, and was worn and endorsed by celebrities of all kinds, including Elizabeth Taylor, who donned an ArtCarved original upon her proposal from Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton Jr. in 1950. As one of America’s most beloved jewelry staples, ArtCarved has been a dependable source for innovative and classic jewelry design and punctuates both manufacturing processes and cultural trendsetting.
By placing an order, you accept and agree to uphold all of Revival Fine Jewelry's terms, conditions and policies.
General Information: All additional jewelry boxes, ring boxes, and other jewelry items pictured alongside a featured listing are considered props, are for photographic and display purposes only and are not included in the transaction unless otherwise noted. Items do not come with physical documentation, appraisals, or certifications, unless explicitly stated in the item description and/or title. While jewelry is inspected upon procurement by the shop as well as prior to shipment, Revival Fine Jewelry cannot guarantee a warranty once items leave our inventory, given the delicate and individual nature of secondhand articles and the unaccountability of buyer handling post-purchase.
Shipping: All orders are carefully packed within a branded Revival Fine Jewelry gift box, secured with recycled materials when possible, and shipped within a discreet outer shipping parcel. All orders ship with tracking, insurance and signature confirmation. Shipping options are presented at checkout. Per law and inegrity, international orders are always marked as commodity imports and customers are responsible for any and all customs expenses, VAT taxes and import fees, as well as any clearance costs legally dictated by their respective destination countries. These expenses are not calculated into the pricing structure, and returns based on import costs will not be permitted.
Returns: While Revival Fine Jewelry aims to provide a smooth experience from start to finish, customers are encouraged to reach out regarding any issue or dissatisfaction, so that we may work together toward a resolution. If a return is desired, the shop must be notified of an intention to return within 3 days of confirmed delivery, and item(s) must be shipped back to the shop within 7 days of confirmed delivery. All materials (gift box, inserts, cards) must be returned with the item(s). Returns declared after the 3 day window and/or postmarked after 7 days of receipt will neither be accepted nor refunded. Customers are responsible for generating an insured return shipping label (international customers included) and relaying the tracking information to Revival Fine Jewelry. Returns that do not include full insurance and/or tracking, and are damaged or lost in transit, will not be refunded. If a return is accepted, customers will be refunded less the original cost of shipping, handling and insurance, the expense of any damages incurred, and a 10% restocking fee (of the original purchase price). All sale items, items altered or resized by the buyer post-purchase, and all storage/ boxes are considered final sale and are ineligible for a return or refund.
Sale Terms: Sale prices are only valid within the prescribed sale window, unless otherwise stated by Revival Fine Jewelry or agreed upon between Revival Fine Jewelry and a designated customer. To maintain business sustainability and general fairness, individual customers are not entitled to exclusive notification of, or owed access to, store sales antecedently. Orders processed prior to a promotion or sale, items placed on layaway prior to a sale, and payments paid through layaway prior to a sale will not be retroactively adjusted to reflect sale pricing or terms.
Specially Negotiated Deals: Items purchased at specially negotiated discounts, deals or prices through any platform between Revival Fine Jewelry and a designated customer are considered final sale, including rates arranged and agreed upon via Facebook, Instagram, email or any other method. Closing deals at special rates reflects a desire by both parties to reach an expeditious and absolute sale. The intention of specially negotiated discounts, deals or sale prices through any platform between Revival Fine Jewelry and a designated customer, is to eliminate extra expenses and/or use of time and resources to formally list or re-list items per their specific and inherent value-determining qualities, as well as avoid unseen overhead business costs, stocking obligations, and all other disclosed or undisclosed monetary and nonmonetary expenditures.
Pricing: Revival Fine Jewelry reserves the right to decrease, increase, alter and modify inventory pricing to meet market rarity, demand or value; to offset platform, transaction or seller's fees; to adapt to economic inflation and fluctuation; and to defray specific business expenses. Pricing is the sole discretion of every small business.
Regarding Brooches & Pins: Often significantly and curiously undervalued jewelry items, brooches, pins and stick pins are treasured pieces of history in this shop. Accordingly, their pricing is calculated analogous to other fine jewelry, including their symbolic meaning, rarity and historical prestige. Such pieces are typically converted to other forms of jewelry, and are therefore becoming increasingly rare in their original states. Aside from being perfectly wearable as sophisticated lapel ornaments, brooches and pins of all kinds are prime candidates for many kinds of fine jewelry conversions, including rings, earrings, pendants, and charms, if so desired by the consumer post-purchase. Revival Fine Jewelry does not perform conversion projects for customers.
Regarding Storage & Boxes: All specifications, including but not limited to the measurements, age, origins, and material compositions are supplied in good faith as professional estimations constructed using professional grade tools, years of learned and honed skills, educational resources and academic scholarship, and refined research methods. Regardless of our confidence in our descriptions and the photographs deemed viable extensions of these descriptions, we cannot guarantee the definitiveness, faultlessness, or exactitude beyond our knowledge and expertise. Kindly keep in mind that this and all items are sold as-is vintage, antique and estate secondhand wares, and consequently bear conditional wear in matter and operation commensurate with age and use.
More information on these, and more, topics may be found in the shop policies.
All layaway terms may be found here, and all shop policies may be found here.
Layaway is available for full priced, non-sale items priced $600.00 USD or greater, and items may not be combined to attain price-eligibility. Plans are offered as 3-month/90-day maximum terms.
In exchange for offering interest-free plans, customers agree to abide and uphold the following nonnegotiable terms and conditions:
- A 30% deposit is due upfront to reserve the item for layaway and pull it from public sale on all of our shopping platforms. Shipping expenses are added to this first payment unless otherwise requested.
- The remaining 70% balance is divided up into three subsequent monthly payments due on the same day of the following three months. If delinquent, a $20.00 USD late fee is added per day to an overdue payment until paid.
- In the event that a layaway installment is left unpaid for seven (7) days and no communication is received from the designated customer, the layaway plan will be presumed abandoned. While the item will be returned to public sale, all payments made hitherto are still considered final.
Layaway items are promptly boxed and shipped to the designated customer once the final payment successfully processes. Taxes, import and other legal fees are not calculated into the payments, and are the sole responsibility of the customer, whether a domestic US or international buyer. Revival Fine Jewelry is not responsible for calculating, covering or adding such costs into purchase prices.
All layaway payments as well as all items purchased through layaway plans are considered final sale; neither payments nor items may be refunded, transferred, exchanged or returned. Revival Fine Jewelry does not issue store credit.
Revival Fine Jewelry reserves the right to cancel any layaway plan at any point for any reason if fraudulent activity is suspected. In this event, the designated customer will be notified prior to the intended cancellation of their plan.
Request a layaway plan via email here. Remember to specify your desired item by providing its link, title or SKU/code.