貂皮 (sable fur) has been a symbol of luxury in China for centuries. In modern slang, 貂 is associated with flashy wealth, 'wearing a 貂' is a stereotype of the nouveau riche in northeastern China.
豸 is the indexing radical - pictures a long-bodied, clawed predator crouched ready to pounce. It marks 貂 as a member of the carnivorous-mammal family and groups it with 豹 (leopard) and 豺 (jackal).
召 zhào provides the sound, shifted to diāo. The same phonetic feeds 招 (zhāo, beckon), 沼 (zhǎo, pond) and 绍 (shào, connect) - most stay in the zh-/sh- range while 貂 is the rare d- outlier.
