A Sand Ceremony is a symbol of the union of two individuals, their unique strength, vulnerabilities, histories and families. This sand ceremony box, named Homok Sabbia, was a very special wedding gift for a Hungarian woman and her Italian fiancé. It represents the uniting of their origins, cultures and languages as they combined sand (Homok) from her home garden in Hungary and sand (Sabbia) from the seaside in Italy, during their wedding ceremony. The most beautiful and striking section of the heart wood was selected to create the box; an area with a grain structure that radiated up and out from the bottom, similar to a bouquet of vibrant flowers. The base was created with the natural edge of the walnut sap wood, or new growth, which has a different color and grain structure than the heart wood, the oldest growth. While cut from the same slap of Claro walnut, the two different sections, the base and the box, have their own unique beauty and striking features. The richness of the dark wood and intricate grain patterns were balanced with the addition of pure and striking white Carrara marble from Italy. The central marble heart was hand cut, sanded, polished and then secured in the heart shaped space that had been gently carved out of the glass front. A marble vein was inserted in the base and the narrow lid was also carved out of marble to harmoniously bring the whole piece together. When it arrived in Hungary, the bride to-be wrote us ““It’s sooooo beautiful! Perfect! I’m so happy, I like it more than I imagined!”