Silver dolphin bench keychain with rhinestones

A three-dolphin keyring in clear pavé, 5.5 cm

The three dolphins are not lined up in a row. Two of them point left with their bodies stretched out, while the third rises towards the right and cuts across their fins, which pulls the whole motif into a diagonal that uses the full 5.5 cm. Every body is covered in clear rhinestones from the beak back to the tail, and the only break in the sparkle comes from the eyes: two small dark stones set flush with the head.

Why the stones sit on one face only

Turn the piece over and the construction shows. The back is bare metal in the same pale tone, with the underside of the settings holding the stones in place on the front. The tail flukes keep their engraved lines on both sides. It is a front-facing object, built to be seen resting against a bag rather than from every angle.

The clasp does the work

Two separate fittings make up the attachment. The spring-loaded swivel clasp opens under thumb pressure and snaps shut on its own, which is what lets you clip the motif to a rucksack strap, a belt loop or the inner tab of a handbag. The split ring takes the keys themselves and turns freely, so the dolphins settle face out instead of hanging sideways.

The piece at a glance

Where it ends up

At 5.5 cm the motif is wide enough to find by touch at the bottom of a tote, yet light enough that it will not drag on a thin lining. It works on a set of house keys, on the zip pull of a gym bag, or clipped to a holdall where the pavé catches whatever light there is. If you want to weigh up sizes and materials first, one page holds the whole key chains range.

As a present it suits anyone drawn to the sea and to marine animals, and it needs no explaining once unwrapped. A soft cloth brings the shine back, and it is worth keeping the piece out of long soaks in water, which dull the settings over time.