In 1872, George Saville (1847-1889) left the family grocery business and moved to Solingen, Germany, to manage a pearl works.  His sons, Gilbert (1881-1973) and Vernon (b.1886), later took over.  Gilbert marketed pocket knives, razors, and Bowies through US agents such as Stauffer, Eshleman (New Orleans) and Farwell, Ozmun, Kirk & Co (St Paul, Minnesota).  This cutlery – apparently exported from Germany after the mid-1890s – was marked ‘Gilbert Saville Steel Works Ltd’ or sometimes ‘SAVILLE’, ‘GILBERT’, or ‘SECO’.  John James Saville (1848-1902) – the brother of George – became a prominent Sheffield steel maker, who also had connections in Germany.  He acquired Tapton Cliffe of J. Y. Cowlishaw and apparently the latter’s pearl premises at 89 Arundel Street.

By 1901, Gilbert’s brothers, George Clifford (1877-1957) and Norman Vivian (1883-1979), had returned to Sheffield to manage these works.  By 1904, this business had moved to Sidney Street / Furnival Street as Sheffield Pearl Works. In 1926, Norman withdrew and George Clifford continued alone.  He died on 26 December 1957, leaving £25,604.  By then, the firm had closed.