Jade Monkey Pendant Meaning: Sayings, Styles and Price

What does a jade monkey pendant mean?

A jade monkey is, above all, a wish for promotion and success. The reason is a pun: 猴 (hou, monkey) sounds the same as 侯 (hou, marquis), one of the high noble ranks of old China. "To be made a marquis" (封侯, feng hou) became shorthand for rising in rank, so almost every classic monkey design is built around it. Today people read it as a wish for a better job, a promotion or success in exams.

The monkey is also loved for itself: quick, clever and playful. A monkey holding a peach adds a wish for long life, and the most famous monkey in Chinese culture, the Monkey King of Journey to the West, brings bravery and mischief to the motif.

These are traditional meanings, not promises: a jade monkey does not bring a promotion, money or health. For other motifs, see jadeite pendant meanings.

What do the monkey designs mean?

Each classic design adds one object to the monkey, and that object completes a pun.

Saying	Pinyin	What the carving shows	What it wishes
马上封侯	ma shang feng hou	A monkey on a horse's back	Promotion right away; 马上 means both "on horseback" and "immediately"
封侯挂印	feng hou gua yin	A monkey hanging an official seal (印) on a maple (枫) tree	Rank and office; 枫 (feng, maple) sounds like 封 (feng, to grant a title)
辈辈封侯	bei bei feng hou	A big monkey carrying a small one on its back	Success for every generation; 背背 (on the back) sounds like 辈辈 (generation after generation)
封侯 with a bee	feng hou	A monkey reaching for a bee or a hive	蜂 (feng, bee) sounds like 封, so monkey and bee read as "made a marquis"
灵猴献寿	ling hou xian shou	A monkey holding a peach	Long life; the peach is the classic longevity fruit
Monkey with an ingot or coins		A monkey hugging a gold ingot (元宝) or coins	A modern wealth version

The peach link comes partly from Journey to the West, where the Monkey King steals and eats the peaches of immortality from the heavenly garden. The monkey on a horse is very old: monkeys riding horses already appear in Han-dynasty stone reliefs. For the horse side of that pun, see jade horse pendant.

Is a monkey pendant the Monkey King?

Usually not. Most jade monkeys are ordinary monkeys carved for the feng hou pun. A Monkey King (孙悟空, Sun Wukong) pendant is recognizable by his golden headband, his staff (金箍棒), a monk's cap or a cloud under his feet. It is a popular choice for children and for people who like the story, and in Vietnam he is a household name as Tôn Ngộ Không, thanks to the television series of the novel.

In Thailand, the monkey that most people know is Hanuman (หนุมาน), the white monkey hero of the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana. Hanuman appears in Thai art and amulets with a crown and a weapon, and carries different beliefs from the Chinese feng hou monkey. If you search in Thai, จี้หนุมาน brings up Hanuman pieces, which are a separate motif. The Chinese zodiac monkey year is ปีวอก.

When is the Year of the Monkey, and who wears a jade monkey?

The next Monkey year is the Earth Monkey year (戊申), which begins at Chinese New Year on 26 January 2028. The last one, the Fire Monkey year, began on 8 February 2016. In Vietnam the 2028 year is Mậu Thân.

People born in a Monkey year (1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 and 2028, counting from Chinese New Year, not 1 January) often wear their own sign, many with a red cord in their own zodiac year. In the zodiac:

• Six harmony (六合): Monkey and Snake; see jade snake pendant.
• Three harmony (三合): Monkey, Rat and Dragon.
• Clash (冲): Monkey and Tiger. Some Tiger-year wearers avoid the monkey.
• Birth-year Buddha (本命佛): for Goat and Monkey years, Vairocana (大日如来).

For the coming year, see the 2027 Year of the Goat guide. Beyond the zodiac, a jade monkey is a common gift for:

• A new job or a promotion: 马上封侯 or 封侯挂印.
• Graduation or exams: a single clever monkey.
• A child or grandchild: 辈辈封侯, the monkey carrying a baby.
• An older relative's birthday: a monkey with a peach.

What styles of jade monkey are there?

Style	What to expect
Single sitting monkey	Small and compact, often with a peach or a coin; the easiest to wear every day
Monkey on a horse	Larger; the horse's legs and the monkey's arms are thin points
Monkey with a baby	Two faces and four arms to carve; good carvers show the expressions
Monkey on a maple branch with a seal	More detail and openwork; better as a larger pendant
Monkey plaque	A monkey in low relief on a flat plaque; sturdy and easy to wear under a shirt
Monkey King	Headband, staff or cloud; often lively, sometimes in multicolor jade

How do you choose a good jade monkey?

1. Start with the face. A good monkey has a clear expression: eyes, brow and mouth cut cleanly. A monkey face is small, and a blurred one is the quickest sign of hurried or machine work.
2. Look at the hands. Separated fingers holding a peach or a seal show careful carving. Fused, mitten-like hands are common on cheap pieces.
3. Check the thin parts. Arms, ears and the tail stick out. Shine a small flashlight through each one and turn the piece: a line that blocks the light is a crack.
4. Check the polish in the gaps between arms and body and around the peach or the baby monkey; dull gaps mean saved finishing time.
5. See how the color is used. Carvers often place green on the peach or the leaves and keep the monkey white, or use a brown skin for the monkey's fur (俏色). Well-placed color adds value; color sitting only in cracks is a warning.
6. Get the size in millimeters and a photo next to a coin or ruler.
7. Ask for a lab certificate naming natural Type A jadeite.

For hand versus machine carving, see jadeite carving craftsmanship.

Are cheap jade monkeys real jadeite?

Often not. Inexpensive "jade monkey" pendants and charms are commonly dyed quartzite, serpentine, glass or resin, or treated jadeite; white jade monkeys are often nephrite, a different mineral. See jadeite look-alikes, how to spot treated jadeite and how to verify a jadeite certificate.

What drives the price of a jade monkey pendant?

As with any carving, the stone first, then the carving. Texture and translucency (种水) matter most, then color and where it sits (green on the peach or the monkey itself), then cleanliness, especially the tail and arms. A hand-carved face and fingers lift the price of mid-grade material; size, thickness, a gold setting and a certificate add the rest. A small, fine, translucent monkey can cost more than a large monkey on a horse in coarse stone. See what determines jadeite price.

How do you wear and care for a jade monkey?

• A small monkey suits a short red or black cord; a monkey on a horse is heavier and hangs better on a sturdier cord or chain. See jade pendant cord and chain.
• For an older child, choose a compact monkey with no thin, sticking-out tail. Babies should not wear a pendant at all; see jade for babies.
• Take it off for sport and sleep; the tail and arms chip first.
• Clean it with lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft brush, and dry it.

Does JadeiteHub sell jade monkey pendants?

Not at the moment. JadeiteHub has no monkey pendants for sale right now. You can browse the pendants we do have in JadeiteHub pendants.

Every piece on JadeiteHub is certified natural Type A jadeite and ships with its own certificate. If a piece does not match its description, you get a full refund.