The silver jaguar is the symbol of the Silver Jaguar Society, “whose members were descendants of the world's most creative minds, and who accepted a promise to protect the work of their ancestors however they could” (26). As a symbol of the Silver Jaguar Society, the charm worn by its members represents The Need to Protect Artifacts that Shape Understanding of the Past. All members wear a piece of jewelry with this symbol, whether it’s José’s mother’s “favorite dangly earrings with the silver jaguars” (10), Anna’s mother’s “jaguar necklace, passed down from Grandma Revere” (25), or Henry’s aunt’s “silver bracelet with some big leaping cat charm jingling all over the place” (11). The fact that they never take these items off illustrates the connection and responsibility they feel to history, and each of these relatives impresses the importance of historical artifacts on the novel’s three main characters.

In addition to conveying this theme, the silver jaguar also contributes to two important plot points in the novel—allowing Anna and José to recognize their common bond and help Henry identify his own connection to the Society, and triggering their epiphany that Snake-Arm is on their side.