This Victorian era locket was made in the "archaeological style", that is, inspired by the jewelry found in the excavated ruins of ancient Etruscan cities. These newly discovered artifacts were a thing of wonder, and Victorian-era jewelers rushed to reproduce the masterful goldsmithing techniques of the Ancient Etruscan jewelers. Specifically, the filigree and granulation (little balls) were the definitive Etruscan look. Even now, modern jewelers struggle to understand how the ancient jewelers did such fine technical work with just an open flame and without modern pressure-controlled torches.