In which century did the boxes become decorative containers for storing and serving luxury sweetmeats ?
Other popular materials used in making these boxes include : Tortoise - shell , a favorite material owing to its satin lustre ; Mother - of - pearl , which was kept in its natural iridescent state , or gilded , or used together with silver ; and Boxes made from exotic materials such as Cowrie shells , enriched with enamels or set with diamonds or other precious stones .