Ernesto Pierret
Ernesto Pierret was born in Paris in 1824 and moved to Rome to train as a goldsmith. In 1846 he opened his shop at 31 Piazza di Firenze where he remained for many years. He married Virginia Crespi, the daughter of a papal lawyer, and was able to move to number 20 Piazza di Spagna right by the Spanish Steps to attract more business. His name can still be seen above the entrance and it is now called Palazzo Pierret. His work in jewelry became important for micromosaics, cameos, intaglios, and his use of ancient artefacts like Roman coins and Egyptian scarabs. His pieces are still found marked either with a monogram, a signature, or both which are applied to the piece on a small gold tab. By the early 1880’s Ernesto's son Luigi Pierret took control of the business. He exhibited at the Turin International fair in 1884 and shortly there after opened a location at Florence at Via Tornabuoni and eventually decided to move the company permanently to Florence.