Material: 24K Gold Plated Silver

The SEMITIC necklace is adorned with four baguette-cut natural emeralds. In ancient times, emeralds served various purposes, including as talismans, jewelry, and even in medicine. The ancient Akkadians believed that emeralds could cure eye diseases, while the Sumerians thought they could soothe a person’s soul. The medallion is hand-engraved with cryptic ancient Semitic codes and symbols.

The three ancient Semitic languages include Akkadian, an extinct Semitic language once spoken in Mesopotamia. Sumerian, on the other hand, is a language isolate, and has no known relatives. Akkadian and Sumerian influenced each other in many aspects, including phonology, pronunciation, morphology, and vocabulary borrowing.

Cuneiform was the script used for both Akkadian and Sumerian. It was typically inscribed on clay tablets and is one of the earliest known writing systems. The decipherment of cuneiform, which was initially a completely unknown writing system in 19th-century Assyriology, we are now able to decipher certain scripts of the ancient alphabet.

While cuneiform has been largely deciphered, there are still elements that remain unclear, and research continues. The exact meanings of the symbols and cryptic codes engraved onto this necklace remain a mystery. They are presumed to represent symbols of earthly elements, such as wind, sun, water, and fire.

Completely hand-sculpted by Rafael Indiana, he carves his necklaces from wax, making each piece unique. This craftsmanship is believed to contribute to the necklace’s authentic ancient beauty.