His father was a "musicus" (singer) at the court of Stanisław Leszczyński, former king of Poland, who became in 1737 the duke of Lotharingen.
Gerverot became extremely able in the preparation of colour, clay mixtures, and (since his stay in Niderviller) in other trade secrets.
His urge to travel and to turn his knowledge into money (or his inability to stay in any one place for long) resulted in his short periods in various porcelain factories.
In 1769, he came to Weesp, and worked in the porcelain factory of Bertrand Philip, count of Gronsveld, former envoy in Berlin, and now drost of Muiden and president of the Admiralty of Amsterdam.
Gerverot possibly lived an unconventional life, as may be seen from the fact that in 1776 he witnessed the christening of a child in the French Roman Catholic chapel.
Gerverot lived in the Plantage (plantation), then a large park with inns, speelhuizen (playhouses, where billiards was played) and brothels, now Artis and its surroundings.