Falize

The house of Falize opened in Paris in 1840. Eventually closing in 1936, the jeweller's and goldsmith's story unfolds over three generations of the family. Falize jewels often have interesting histories, once owned by such illustrious personages as Empress Eugenie, the imperial Russian family, Sarah Bernhardt, and more. In researching this story, Katherine Purcell met a surviving member of the family, Robert Falize, who shared his memories and allowed access to the Falize archive of historical documents and watercolour drawings and sketches. This account includes reproductions in colour and black and white.