Silver gingerbread man keychain

A gingerbread man keychain set with clear rhinestones

It sits in the palm of a hand: 7 cm top to bottom, arms stretched out on either side. What you notice first is how tightly the stones are packed. They run across the head, the body, the arms and the legs without a break, so the whole outline catches the light as soon as the figure spins on a key ring. A narrow band of smooth metal follows the edge and keeps the shape readable from a distance. The keyrings shelved next to this one work on the same principle with other subjects.

Two sides, two finishes

Turn it over and the piece reads completely differently. The back repeats the same cut-out, arms and legs included, but is left as bare silver-tone metal: the hollow settings that hold the stones on the other side show through in neat rows. That plain face is the one resting against a bag or against the keys themselves, which spares the paved side most of the daily rubbing.

Keychain at a glance

Where it clips

The split ring holds a small set of house keys, and the lobster clasp lets you move the figure onto a bag handle, a zip pull or a lanyard without unthreading anything. Carried on the outside of a bag it is still easy to make out at arm's length, because the green enamel bow and the red enamel mouth are the only matt surfaces on an otherwise glittering front, and the eye goes to them first.

Keeping a dense setting clean

Stones packed this close trap dust in the gaps, where a cloth skates over the top without reaching anything. A dry, soft brush worked along the rows lifts it far better than rubbing does. Keep household sprays and perfume away from the two enamelled parts, and unclip the figure before you leave the keys beside a basin. Keeping it flat rather than loose in a pocket also stops the keys scraping across the stones. The accessories that travel in a bag all day rarely ask for more than that.