Victorian Black Gutta Percha Mourning Cross Pendant with Fleur Terminals, Circa 1860s-1890s

Black gutta percha cross pendant molded with stepped, layered arms, a beaded border, a geometric boss at the center and fleur-de-lis terminals.

Gutta percha is a natural latex from the Palaquium trees of the Malay Archipelago. Brought to Britain in the 1840s, it could be softened in hot water and pressed into metal molds, holding remarkably crisp detail as it cooled. Its deep black color made it an affordable alternative to Whitby jet, and through the height of Victorian mourning, after Prince Albert's death in 1861, molded gutta percha crosses, lockets and brooches were worn by women who could not afford jet. The trees were tapped nearly to extinction by the end of the century, so gutta percha jewelry belongs firmly to the Victorian era.

Shows wear consistent with age.