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Victorian 18ct Gold & Malachite Carved Monkey Pendant

208M
975 Admirers Rare Find
Written by Olly Gerrish

A very unusual 18ct gold pendant with a chained monkey in the centre. The monkey has been carved from malachite and has ruby cabochon eyes. It was made circa 1860. There was a fashion for malachite during the Victorian Age, and it was used in fine jewellery for the English gentry and grand sculpture in the palaces of the Russian Tsars. There was also a fashion for pet monkeys. Notes on Pet Monkeys and How to Manage Them by Arthur Patterson (London, 1888) advises that that the chief importers of monkeys to Britain were Cross, Carpenter, and Johnson of Liverpool or Jamrach and Abrahams of London. Monkeys were brought to Britain by sailors or dealers alongside traditional cargo from South America, India and south east Asia. Patterson’s book includes a price list for various breeds of monkeys, revealing that marmosets could be had for 15 shillings whereas an orangutan could be as much as £100. This pendant is a far kinder way of keeping a monkey nearby!

Ollys Pick

Never seen anything like this!

The Essentials

Item Number:
208M
Materials:
Measurements:
Height from top of loop 55mm
Width 34mm
Era & Origin:
Victorian (1839-1901)
Possibly Russian
Provenance:
Possibly Russian
Discovered:
6 years ago

Hallmarks

Unmarked, tested to 18ct gold

Condition

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Excellent
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