The Gift Box

Creativity at work

Nestled in Knysna in the heart of the garden route, amongst the forests, fynbos, lagoon and ocean is The Gift Box Studio. Having a love of flora and shells and the artistic touch to create elegant resin jewellery, The Gift Box founder, Aston Chalmers decided to leave the bustling city of Johannesburg to pursue her natural talent. Daily foraging expeditions to the beach, forests and fields of Knysna allow her to hand select each individual little treasure earmarked to be used in the creation of special keepsake pieces and beautiful jewelry. 

Every piece is carefully thought through and set before being cast into resin, with huge amounts of attention being paid to tiniest of detail. Each piece is lovingly hand finished and bears the hallmarks of the countless hours of manual work that has gone into making each a unique work of art.

For all the flower children, free spirits, whimsical hearts and elegant ladies, there is a Gift Box creation to suit every unique personality and occasion.

Resin Jewellery

Resin art and jewellery making is the fastest growing craft in the world, with stunning work being produced in Russia, UK, Ireland, and the USA. The Gift Box offers world-class handmade resin jewellery right here in South Africa.

Every piece is lovingly handcrafted from start to finish and a single piece can take two weeks or more to complete. The attention to detail in every design is something that cannot be replicated by a machine, meaning that these pieces cannot be mass produced. Our pieces each have their own story and is unique in its design, colour, florals and design materials, assuring you of a one-of-a-kind piece that is as unique as you are.

The process starts with the selection of flowers that are chosen by the designer for their colour and beauty. The flowers are dried out using various drying techniques for a period of time to preserve the shape and colour of each petal and bud. The florals are then hand-laid into their own design and encased in layers of resin. The design and layering process alone can take many days to complete as meticulous attention goes into the creation of these eye-catching designs. Take a careful look at the miniature floral gardenscapes under a magnifying glass or zoom in with a camera and you will be astounded by the detailed layout.

The pieces are then left to be dried for a number of days in a pressurized chamber to keep out dust and contaminant. The final stages involve a final (and time consuming) hand -shaping and polishing of each piece which is followed by a quality check before fitting the bails, chains and other jewellery findings. All completed pieces are beautifully packaged before being shipped to their lucky owners.