A hand-finished solid pewter bee keyring - the perfect practical gift. Includes £1 donation to the World Bee Project. Made in the UK.

Dimensions: 68 mm x 51 mm (including attached ring). 

Designed and cast by a local craftsman just downriver from our own workshop in Staverton.

The bee is just the right size for a keyring. All of us in the workshop have had them for many months now, and they are finished so well that (unlike many cheap alternative key-rings) they don't catch on your clothing or poke you in the leg!

For every bee keyring we sell, we will donate £1.00 to the World Bee Project. The World Bee Project is a member of the UK Government Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Pollinator Advisory Steering Group (PASG) and is the first private initiative in the world that uses artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to monitor pollinator and biodiversity declines from a global perspective.

ABOUT PEWTER

Pewter is an attractive metal which has been used for the production of household and other items in Britain since Roman times. It is an alloy consisting mostly of tin which has been mixed with small amounts of other metals such as copper, lead or antimony to harden it and make it more durable.

Once the Romans had left in the 5th century little pewter was made here until the craft was reintroduced in the 12th century, probably by Cistercian monks. They used the metal to make chalices, patens and spoons for ceremonial use but the versatility of pewter was soon recognised by the wider community. During the 17th and 18th centuries pewter would have been found in every household. Jugs, plates, buttons, pilgrim badges, tankards, wine cups, inkwells, candlesticks and spoons are just some of the many items for which it was used. Pewter wares are still being made today.

Consumer Protection Since The 15th Century 

Pewter became such an important commodity that the alloy quality needed to be controlled, so, as an early form of consumer protection, the London pewterers were granted a charter by King Edward IV almost 550 years ago (in 1474), giving them legal control over the manufacture of pewter throughout England. Their guild, The Worshipful Company of Pewterers, still works hard to promote modern British pewter through its annual Pewter Live design competition.