The two branches of the firm in Wales were augmented by a third in London, opened by Emanuel Snowman, the son-in-law of Morris Wartski, in 1911. During the 1920’s Emanuel was among the first to negotiate with the government of the Soviet Union to purchase treasures that had been confiscated following the revolution of 1917.  Over more than a decade he acquired many important works of art, including a gold chalice commissioned by Catherine the Great and eleven of the Imperial Easter Eggs.


Emanuel’s son, A. Kenneth Snowman, built upon his father's work, adding an academic dimension to the business through his pioneering studies and exhibitions.  ‘The Art of Carl Fabergé’, published in 1953, was the first book to be written on the subject.  He was immortalized by Ian Fleming, a Wartski customer, in the James Bond novella ‘Property of a Lady’, which described him in Wartski’s premises, then on Regent Street. 

Mr Snowman wore his learning lightly and remained a hospitable figure until his sad passing in July 2002. His son Nicholas Snowman succeeded him as Chairman and continues to support the firm's welcoming and scholarly traditions.

Geoffrey Munn, the firm’s Managing Director, has written ‘Castellani and Giuliano, Revivalist Jewellers of the Nineteenth Century’(1984), ‘The Triumph of Love – Jewellery 1530-1930’ (1993), ‘Tiaras: A History of Splendour’ (2001) and ‘Pre-Raphaelite to Arts and Crafts Jewellery’ (1989) with Charlotte Gere.  He curated the ‘Tiaras’ exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2002.

Director Katherine Purcell has written the definitive study ‘Falize: A Dynasty of Jewellers’ (1999) and translated Henri Vever’s ‘French Jewellery of the Nineteenth Century’ (2001).  Her most recent exhibition as curator was ‘Fabergé and the Russian Jewellers’ at Wartski in May 2006.

Director Kieran McCarthy has been widely published and is also a lecturer on the subject of Fabergé.  His most recent articles focused on the use of wood in Fabergé’s work and on a missing Imperial Easter Egg. He recently identified the original design source of the Constellation Egg.