Significant objects don’t have to appear in every scene, but when they do they should be used with a specific narrative purpose in mind. The appearance of a plot-significant object (e.g. the ring in Lord of the Rings) focuses everyone’s attention — characters and audience alike – and should be directly relevant to the plot (Rosenfeld, 2008, pp. 47-48).
A character-significant object (e.g. a small crucifix on a gold chain worn around a character’s neck) reveals something about the character’s background and beliefs and can be used in a scene to reveal the character’s thoughts and emotions.