I worked for St Louis in the summer of 1971, and knew Gerald Ingold who was my boss's boss!
He took a liking to me, coming from a glass making family, and was impressed when I designed and installed a pallet stacking system at the Paris warehouse Rue de Paradis.
So much so that they gave a vase (I could choose any in their collection ) for my mother and a very rare paperweight, It consists of a tiny ruby goblet trapped in a large crystal round gather. It is very rare so are they limit production to 10 a year. that year Brigitte Bardot and President Mitterant got one as did I. When I asked how it was made I was told only 5 people in St Louis knew, as it was made in secret after most people had gone home, during a night shift by a team of mastercraftsmen! Back to YOUR story.
I did not think Gerald Ingold was still there in 1985, but I can find out.
I know the current management quite well, but no one today would ever admit to selling "seconds"!
I have one of Gerald Ingold's books on paperweights, ( also a signed copy of his book "Un matin bien remplit" about his brother who was a Spitfire ace with the RAF.1939-1945 published in 1969).