Give Packaging had its inception when Nicolette Jones was presented with a beautiful ring by her fiancé to mark their engagement. Delighted upon receiving the ring, she felt the tacky, black plastic box it came in detracted from her excitement on the occasion.
Her fiancé Mahon, a builder by trade, was inspired to create an elegant ring box out of wood which would complement the beauty of the ring. Over the next few years, and many prototypes later, he produced what he dubbed, ‘The Small Classic’ ring box, chiselled by hand from wood.
Armed with samples, the couple embarked on a road trip of jewellery stores around New Zealand to gauge interest in their Small Classic ring box. The box was overwhelmingly rejected but the jewellers provided Mahon with constructive feedback. Back at his work shed, he began to create a small wooden box out of sustainable timbers that would highlight the importance and value of the ring within it.
The Small Classic was the very first commercial product for Give Packaging, based in Rongotai, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand.
“With no experience working in the jewellery industry and entering a global market dominated by suppliers from the USA, Germany and China, we were the first business to introduce innovative, sustainable packaging options to the industry. The idea came to fruition when there were no sustainable options for engagement ring boxes,” Nicolette explained.
In 2006, a US ethical jewellery company approached Give to supply it with The Small Classic ring box and be part of their eco-sustainable story. Positive customer reaction followed and over the years, the companies have grown substantially with each other.
Since then, Give has expanded on its ring box beginnings and designs. Today it manufactures a wide range of jewellery packaging options from sustainable timbers, each handcrafted and unique to every customer. Give Packaging is currently stocked by 300 jewellery stores in over 20 international markets.
Each Give wooden ring box is made from a sustainable timber range that includes European Beech, New Zealand Beech, Jarrah and Walnut. Over time, the company’s customised offerings have evolved, using only sustainable timbers sourced from New Zealand and international managed forests.
Elegant interiors made from classic velvet and satin fabrics in black, white and cream add a luxury touch to the Give wooden ring box. A natural linen interior is available for the smaller boxes of the range, with wool the newest option.
All ring boxes comes with a little complimentary card that informs the customer all about the goodness of their box. Each box is finished with a lovely natural satin wax, in keeping with the natural feeling. The premium, handcrafted Give wooden ring boxes can be customised by etching, enabling jewellers to engrave their logo into the wood.
“Most jewellers don’t sell the Give boxes in store, but give them to their customers as part of their buying experience. Some jewellers have a certain price point when a customer receives the branded wooden ring box, but others use it as their point of difference with all of their jewellery to give their customer a thoughtful, sustainable experience,” Nicolette said. Customers will usually share that experience.
“If your customers collect their ring from you in a Give box, they will most certainly photograph your gorgeous ring along with your branded box. It will inevitably be put it on their Instagram. That’s a post that’s giving your brand mileage, with a box that’s doing your marketing, in a natural organic environment,” she said.
“One jeweller told us they had a customer who came in through the doors and said: ‘My friend bought their gorgeous ring from you and I loved that wooden ring box it came in. I’m here today to design my ring with you so I can put it in a box like that too.’”
It is the attention to detail that makes each distinctive Give handcrafted wooden ring box a treasured keepsake.
“Our timeless designs offer luxury and elegance to compliment high-quality gifts, reflecting the value and importance of not just the jewellery within it, but also the moment in which it is given. At Give we are still proud to say that we still finish all the boxes by hand and they are all still made in New Zealand to this day.”
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