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'Through Paradox is inspired by earth, sky, water and sun. A case in point is the 'Tears of the Tigris' necklace and earrings, which feature chunky greenish-blue, faceted Amazonite beads that glisten with a dewy freshness and contrast with their sensuously shaped 18-karat gold settings. These Cultus Artem pieces are also noteworthy for referencing the epic Tigris river, which starts in eastern Turkey; flows along the Syrian border, courses through Iraq and then joins the Euphrates to create the Shatt-al-Arab river, which empties out into the Persian Gulf. Stretching for 1,150 miles (1,900 km), the Tigris has long fed the boomerang-shaped area in the Middle East known as the “fertile crescent”, where humans first began farming crops and domesticating goats and sheep 11,000 years ago.
The fertile crescent was also where many great jewels of antiquity were unearthed from burial chambers by 20th century archaeologists; one thinks of Queen Puabi, who lived around 2550 BCE. While her upper body was covered in carnelian, lapis lazuli, and gold beads, she also wore chokers and extravagantly sculpted earrings.'
Kyle Roderick, FORBES
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