Introduction

If you are new to the world of artisan keycaps, I recommend reading my first article on them, which also goes over the what and why of these very custom and niche products. We've since covered a lot of different artisan keycaps, predominantly from Jelly Key, in various themes that showcase what the Vietnam-based team of artisans can do. These include the Dragons of Eden theme which, given 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese and Vietnamese Zodiac, was in need of a timely update with newer Jelly Key designs and keycap profiles developed since then.


Today we are looking at the new Dragons of Eden – Ethereal Runes series. Jelly Key operates primarily via the group buy method, wherein orders for a certain theme are taken for a week—or less if pre-orders hit the target as usual—and those keycaps are then never made or sold again, outside second-hand sellers. This group buy has actually already ended as of the date I write this article since I was traveling away from home when these samples arrived. But Jelly Key mentioned they would be happy to take on special orders for TechPowerUp readers if they are still interested in getting these, all you would have to do is contact them. I would still do it as soon as possible though given they can only accommodate so many extra orders once production starts. The new features in this group buy include the Cherry profile, which is all the harder to achieve once you realize the dragon models jut out of the keycap—in SA and Cherry profile, but not in Jelly Key's proprietary Droplet profile seen above—for a proper 3D effect. Thanks to Jelly Key for providing some final engineering samples to TechPowerUp for a closer examination.

Packaging

I covered before in more detail before how Jelly Key spent more time on the actual packaging design than some companies spend on entire keyboards, and I had already seen all three sizes of the solid paper boxes used by the company, which are in turn made of fully recycled materials. Based on my previous experiences, the two boxes here are for a 1u sized keycap as well as a 1.5u to 2.75u sized keycap. They have the Jelly Key logo on the front and a list of contents on the side, along with a seal featuring contact information. Opening the packaging reveals the actual product boxes held in place by a shaped compartment in the solid paper packaging. Retail units will also get a metal dog tag souvenir and the box will have the unit's serial number on it.


The keycaps are placed inside appropriately sized small wooden boxes with a rounded, smooth finish. These come with a hand-applied seal, which is a nice touch with Jelly Key products, and a marketing tagline etched into the back. Given this isn't a retail unit, please be aware that the keycap may not fully represent the quality of finished products from the group buy. The box opens up to reveal the keycap, presented like a gift. There is foam lining in the lid, with the actual keycap inside a thicker foam piece with a cutout to snugly hold and protect the product.

Closer Examination

I mentioned before how I was sent two different keycaps in two different sizes and keycap profiles to help showcase the different options available with this theme. The larger of the two is a 2.25u (Enter or L.Shift) keycap in the "Gildersnow" design and the Droplet profile. This means the dragon model is completely enclosed by the resin pour, which in turn is given a fully rounded finish on the sides to make for a stunning view from all sides. The individual elements are all resin-cast with up to 52 different colors, and Jelly Key says this alone can take as much as 16 hours per keycap. This is on top of fixing the various smaller details such as the dragon scales, claws, horns etc. and then a thin layer of clear resin is applied for protection and to maintain a glossy finish. This is all the more relevant for the other two keycap profiles, but more on this soon. Jelly Key's "Eden effect" is also used here wherein inks are deliberately injected and distributed alongside the dragon elements to create a sense of motion. This process apparently takes 2–4 hours for each drop of ink to fall naturally, and then another 24 hours are needed for the resin to dry completely.


Here we see some of the steps taken in the making of the various elements, with the dragons being of different sizes based on the keycap size too. The Cherry and SA profile keycaps have parts of the dragon's body and head protruding out from the surface of the keycaps. This results in a proper 3D effect but does mean you no longer have a smooth surface to type on. The clear layer added on top helps with durability, in case you were wondering if typing on these might also damage the keycap. I can attest to this having used this 1u SA profile keycap in the "Emberleaf" design for a few days already now. I still feel it's best to use this on a keycap you won't use often for typing or gaming though, which is why I found the Esc key to work well here. I also know many people who would purchase ~4 of such 1u keycaps to use on, say, F5-F8 on the top row. The smaller keycaps are going to be harder to manufacture and also harder to appreciate everything, but I found myself looking at this more so than the larger Droplet profile keycap.


I used the Anne Pro 2 keyboard to demonstrate the keycaps installed, which with its clean white base makes for a good supporting cast. The SA and Droplet profile keycaps are taller than the OEM keycaps the rest of the keyboard has. As such, it is important to match the keycap profile if this is going on a key you will be using often. Some might deliberately go for a different profile to distinguish it visually as well as for touch typing though, so your mileage may vary. As with most such artisan keycap group buys, this series has plenty of permutations and combinations to choose from. There are five designs, each with different keycap sizes and profiles, to make for a total of 135 keycaps in this series, although I did see the 2.25u size is shown twice (Enter, L.Shift). There are even some larger art toys if you simply want to admire the art on a bigger scale as opposed to using them on a keyboard. Pricing ranges from $55-105 depending on the keycap size, and there should be further discounts and gifts for those buying multiple keycaps, as seen on the group buy page.