Percival the Baby Opossum Necklace

He has decided that this particular wreath of ivy and apple blossoms is exactly where he needs to be right now, and nothing you say is going to change his mind. He has curled his tail around a vine for balance, which is what that tail is actually for, and he is surveying his kingdom with those enormous dark eyes and the quiet confidence of someone who has never once doubted that he belongs exactly where he has put himself. He is very small. He has very large plans.

The Virginia Opossum

The Virginia opossum holds a distinction that no other mammal north of Mexico can claim. It is the only marsupial on the continent, carrying its young in a pouch the way kangaroos and koalas do on the other side of the world, a living reminder that North America was once connected to a very different world and that some ancient things persist long after the geography has changed.

There is a persistent image of opossums hanging upside down from tree branches by their tails, and it is almost entirely a myth. Yes, they have prehensile tails, muscular and dexterous and genuinely remarkable. But they use those tails the way you would use an extra hand, wrapping them around branches for balance while climbing, carrying leaves and sticks and nesting materials back to their dens, holding on to things they want to keep. A young opossum hanging by its tail for any length of time would simply get tired and fall, which is not a strategy that recommends itself. The tail is a tool, not a hammock.

They also almost certainly do not carry rabies. Their body temperature runs between 94 and 97 degrees Fahrenheit, significantly lower than most mammals, and the rabies virus simply cannot survive in an environment that cold. In the decade between 2004 and 2014 there were only 25 confirmed cases of rabies in opossums across the entire United States. They are also equipped with opposable thumbs on their hind feet, 50 teeth, and a willingness to eat cockroaches, snails, slugs, rats, and carrion that makes them one of the most effective cleanup crew members in any ecosystem they inhabit. They are misunderstood at every turn. They deserve considerably better.

The Piece

His name is Percival, because a baby opossum claiming a jeweled wreath of ivy and apple blossoms as his personal territory deserves a name of appropriate grandeur.

Percival hangs from the bottom of a teardrop shaped wreath built entirely from sterling silver ivy leaves, tiny wildflowers, and berry clusters, all deeply oxidized so every detail reads in rich shadow and light. Three gemstones are set into the wreath at different points, a pink tourmaline, a purple amethyst, and a vivid green peridot, their colors echoing the spring flowers that surround them. Percival himself dangles below the wreath, his fluffy body carved with that characteristic opossum texture, his face turned slightly upward with those wide eyes looking out at the world with complete composure. His tail curls around the base of the wreath exactly the way a real opossum tail would, because that is what tails are for.

The pendant hangs on an 18 inch sterling silver woven rope chain.

The Craftsmanship

• Pendant: approximately 3 inches tall by 1.25 inches wide
• Stones: pink tourmaline, purple amethyst, green peridot
• Material: sterling silver throughout, oxidized
• Chain: 18 inch sterling silver woven rope chain
• Edition: one of a kind

One of a Kind

There is only one Percival. This wreath, these three stones, this particular baby opossum who has decided he lives here now: they exist once. When Percival finds his person he will never be made again exactly like this.

A Note from Tamara

I have a deep and slightly defensive love for opossums and I will not apologize for it. They are ancient and strange and wildly misunderstood and they are doing genuinely important work in every backyard they pass through. I made Percival because I wanted to put one of them somewhere beautiful for once, somewhere with gemstones and flowers and ivy, somewhere that reflects how I actually feel about them rather than the screaming that usually happens when one turns up unexpectedly on a back porch. If you come across an opossum in your travels, I hope you give them a smile. They are doing their best and they have been doing it for a very long time.

Shipping

Your Percival is finished, packaged safely, and will be on his way to you within 3 to 5 business days.