Victorian 18ct Gold Etruscan Revival Pendant With Scarab Motif

Although granulation, embossing, and filigreeA means of decoration, achieved by soldering very fine gold or silver wires into intricate patterns. Historically, filigree was created by applying the wires to an underlying base. As the craft evolved, the base was abandoned and the result was a lighter, airier, lacy, openwork jewelry item. The latter style was especially popular during the nineteenth centu… had been used in Mesopotamia and Egypt much earlier, the Etruscans perfected the techniques to a very high level. The delicacy and technical precision were a complete novelty for that time in the 5th to 8th century AD. This highly detailed and complicated technique was rediscovered by Castellani in the mid 1800s and copied by many other other jewellers. This pendant is of the highest quality and has at its centre a scarab beetle. The scarab is a symbol of renewal and rebirth. On the reverse is a glazed locket.