Definition: a dark (black or near-black), rubber-like gum derived from the resin of trees from Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia; highly flexible yet durable, it began to be used in the 1840s for jewelry, especially mourning jewelry in the latter 19th century, as a more reasonable substitute for jet; designs are almost always molded, however, as opposed to carved
Pronunciation: gut-tah pur-chah
Alternate Spelling: gutta-percha
Example: Although gutta percha jewelry strongly resembles vulcanite jewelry, the two are not the same, as vulcanite is a manufactured rubber, while gutta percha is a natural latex substance.