ROYAL warrant holders have stepped in to give Bangor’s priceless Civic Mace a 140-year overhaul for free.

The mace, used at all official functions, was gifted to the City of Bangor in 1884 but has suffered from significant wear-and-tear to its intricate craftsmanship. It is now too delicate to be used.

Wartski, a family business specialising in works of art by Carl Fabergé, antique jewellery, silver and objets de vertu, will carry out the work to restore the mace to its original condition.

The firm was founded by Morris Wartski in 1865 and its first known premises was located in Bangor.

Dr Martin Hanks, city director, said: "It got to a point where mend and make-do was no longer an option, but the cost of sending it off to specialist repairers would have been probably unaffordable."

When the Wartski family were made aware of the Bangor Mace’s urgent need for expensive repairs, Nicholas Snowman, Wartski chairman, wrote back that they would be "delighted" to undertake the important work. 

Mr Snowman had been awarded Honorary Fellowship of Bangor University in 2015 and visited again in 2019 to tour the City’s Jewish heritage sites.

The mace, in Welsh emblem intricate design, was donated to Bangor in the year when Queen Victoria granted the Corporation of Bangor Royal charter status and has been used by every mayor at formal occasions in years since.

Cllr Gwynant Roberts, mayor of Bangor, said: "Those of a certain age will remember the Wartski flagship jewellers shop on the High Street where the old Debenham’s building now stands. But their benevolence to Bangor is probably lesser known.

"They donated the Wartski Fields for public recreation use, they funded so many charitable needs especially for the deprived and Isidore Wartski’s quiet work helping the then large Jewish community in Bangor during the Secord World War by assisting refugees flee Europe was considerable. 

"It is wonderful that the Wartski company has not forgotten its roots."

Tragedy, however, struck the day before Mr Snowmanwas due to sign a pre-typed letter he’d dictated; he suddenly died aged 78. 

His office showed the letter to the chairman’s son and vice-chairman of Wartski, Hector Snowman. Despite his grief, he was keen to approve it.

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Cllr Roberts said: "Even in their bereavement, they ensured his wishes were honoured."

The mace will be hand delivered [for security reasons] to London by city councillor Mark Roberts and will be returned to Bangor in time for the city’s official functions marking the 50th anniversary of Bangor’s twinning with the German town of Soest later this year.

Mr Roberts said: "If the Wartski family had not stepped in to so very generously offer to repair the mace, there’d be a rather big hole in our city finances.  

"Craftsmanship of this sort isn’t cheap. Indeed there are so few specialists in the UK who could undertake such intricate work’.

Wartski Jewellers have been long-standing warrant holders to the Royal family since receiving the patronage of King Edward VII and all subsequent monarchs. They served the late Queen Elizabeth II and made the wedding rings for King Charles III and the Queen Consort as well as the current Princess of Wales. All of them are from rare Welsh gold. 

After opening in Bangor, the company moved to Llandudno before becoming truly international when it moved to St James’s London.

The family have further ties to Bangor; a member of the Wartski family, Isidore Wartski, was mayor of Bangor at the outbreak of World War II.

He carried out civic duties behind the same silver mace.