Plain matte gold-shell round Victorian locket necklace

Antique Plain Round Bloomed Gold-Shell Locket Necklace. This antique locket is simple and without embellishment.  The majority of lockets at this time, namely the latter half of 19th century (the end of the Victorian era), was produced with the presumed option to have them engraved with a monogram or date or inset with stones and/or engraved with popular Victorian friezes.  Nevertheless, we have come across many that were left plain as this one is. As with almost all lockets from this time, there is room for two photographs, with the original inset photo frames intact. The surface of this particular locket has a matte effect, called 'blooming' or 'bloomed gold'.  Bloomed gold is achieved by bathing or dipping a gold surface in an acid that strips away only the very top layer of the alloy, leaving behind a surface that on the microscopic level is stippled or pitted, but to the naked eye and to the touch has a very subtle matte effect.  Bloomed gold has a lovely way of catching the light