I just completed a cherry jewelry box for SWMBO with birds-eye maple drawer
fronts. This is my first cherry project. What do you recommend for a finish
that will compliment both woods? I don't plan to stain. Yes, I did a google
search.
BTW, I bought the birds-eye at the neighborhood saw mill with SWMBO. They
had three beautiful 8' X 8" X 5/4 birds-eye maple boards. I was going to buy
one. SWMBO said, "Why don't you buy all three?" I gave in and bought all
three. I hate when she pushes me around. ;)

Damn, that's a no-lose gloat :-)
Look at the logic he Either you get to gloat over the price
you paid for the maple, or if the price wasn't gloatworthy,
then by definition you get to gloat about your outstanding SWMBO!

:-) :-)

Seriously, these woods respond really well to oil-based rubbing
finishes such as tung or danish. They are easy and nearly
foolproof, and look great. Only caution: some formulations amber
wood a lot more than others, and that's an effect that many people
don't like on maple. I've always liked the Park's tung oil
finish, and in general the linseed-oil based finishes amber more
than the tung oil based ones, but this is a matter of taste.

Another possibility is shellac (but mix your own from flakes
so you can control the cut), which will dry dead clear with
no ambering at all, just gorgeous on maple and cherry. It's
a bit less forgiving though, and you may have to sand the
finish coat with very fine-grit (1000 or higher) to get a
result you really like. Shellac does have the advantage
of being completely reversible, though - it comes off with
the same denatured alcohol you use to mix it in the first place.

No matter what you do, you violate the first law
of finishing at your peril:
ALWAYS TEST ON A PIECE OF SCRAP FIRST. That's what those
leftover bits are good for, and it's the only way of
knowing what an unknown finish is going to do for you.

A coat of paste wax after the finish is completely hard, of course.