Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794–1865) founded his jewellery workshop in Rome in 1814, becoming one of the most influential goldsmiths of the 19th century. Initially producing fashionable contemporary European jewellery, Castellani soon developed a passion for the rediscovery and revival of ancient classical techniques, particularly those of the Etruscans and other pre-Roman cultures.

In the 1820s, Castellani began to draw inspiration from archaeological discoveries and the jewellery of ancient Italy, refining techniques such as granulation and filigree — skills largely lost since antiquity — to create works faithful in appearance to the jewellery unearthed in Etruscan and Roman tombs. With guidance from his lifelong friend and collaborator, Michelangelo Caetani, and later in partnership with his sons Alessandro and Augusto, Castellani established a new style of jewellery that fused meticulous scholarship with exceptional goldsmithing.

The Castellani family continued to operate and innovate throughout the 19th century, exhibiting their work internationally and expanding their reputation across Europe, with jewellery reflecting ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Egyptian motifs, executed in techniques such as granulation, micro-mosaic, enamel and fine metalwork.