Small pieces with moving parts
Boxes and trays are small, but they are often the most worked items in a décor order. A jewellery box may combine a carved or inlaid wooden shell, brass hinges and a clasp, a velvet lining glued over card, a mirror in the lid and a lift-out tray. A serving tray may be wood with brass handles, enamelled metal, or marble with a resin-filled inlay.
The common faults come from the small parts. Tiny hinges are fixed with short pins or screws into thin timber, which splits. Linings are glued with contact adhesive that can smell for weeks if the box is closed too early. A closed box packed in humid weather keeps its damp air inside, and mould grows on the lining in the container. Lids are usually fitted one by one, so lids from one box do not fit another.
Large chests and trunks that a child could climb into are a different product with their own lid hazards; see trunks and blanket boxes.
What we check on boxes and trays
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Lid fit | Lid closed and viewed from all sides; gap measured at the front and corners | Uneven gap, lid rocks, lid sits proud on one side |
| Hinges | Lid opened and closed repeatedly; hinge screws and timber around them checked | Split at the hinge, loose pin, lid falls back too far with no stay |
| Clasp, lock and key | Clasp closed and opened; lock turned with its key | Clasp does not hold, key missing or does not turn |
| Inside | Box opened after closed storage and smelled; lining and corners checked | Mould spots, musty or solvent smell, lining lifting or glue stains |
| Mirror in the lid | Mirror pressed; edges checked for chips and silvering faults | Mirror loose, cracked or with black edges |
| Inlay and carving | Raking light on the face; inlay pieces pressed | Lifting inlay, gaps, uneven filler colour |
| Tray flatness | Tray laid on a flat table and pressed at the corners | Rocks or twists |
| Tray handles | Tray lifted by its handles with a load set by the buyer | Handle screws pull out, handle bends, rivet loose |
| Underside | Felt pads or a finished base checked | Raw metal or rough wood that will scratch furniture |
Common decorative box, tray and jewellery box defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Class |
|---|---|
| Tray handle fails under load; broken glass insert | Critical |
| Mould inside the box | Major (the lot may need re-drying and re-packing) |
| Split at a hinge; hinge loose | Major |
| Lid does not close or clasp does not hold | Major |
| Strong solvent or musty smell | Major |
| Tray rocks on a flat surface | Major |
| Lining glue stain; small inlay gap | Minor |
Wood, board and food-contact rules
- EU: EUDR. HS 4420 includes caskets and cases for jewellery or cutlery and similar articles of wood, and is on the Annex I product list. See EUDR.
- US: TSCA Title VI. Boxes with MDF or particleboard bodies or bases need compliant board. Finished goods with no more than 144 square inches of regulated composite wood are exempt from the label only. See TSCA Title VI.
- US: Lacey Act. Species and country of harvest for wooden boxes and trays. See Lacey Act.
- Serving trays. A tray sold for food must meet food-contact rules: Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 in the EU and FDA rules in the US. A lacquered or resin-coated tray needs a lab migration test before it is sold for food; otherwise label it for decorative use. Tea and spice boxes raise the same question.
- Lead. Brass fittings and paints can need a Prop 65 warning.
Packing and transit risks
Boxes need dry air more than padding. Check the moisture of wooden boxes before packing, leave lids open long enough for lining glue to cure, and consider silica gel inside each box for sea freight. Keys should be taped inside the box or bagged and attached, not loose in the carton. Trays should be packed face to face with a sheet between them so handles do not dent the next tray. Nesting sets of boxes or trays need a check that every size is present in each set.
What to put in your purchase order
- Box: hinge type, lid stay, clasp or lock, number of keys, and lining material and colour.
- Maximum lid gap and whether lids must be interchangeable.
- Moisture limit for wood and whether silica gel is packed inside.
- Tray: handle load test and flatness limit.
- Food use: "decorative only" labelling, or the food-contact tests and the lab report you require.
- Set contents for nesting boxes or trays.
For the materials, see wooden décor, bone, horn and shell and marble and stone.