The Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham is known as the city's Treasure Island . With its cobbled streets, narrow alleys and tiny workshops it has retained much of its original character.
The first mention of the trade in Birmingham was during the reign of Charles II when it was noted that local craftsmen were adept at copying jewellery brought over from France. But the industry only really started to grow in the early 18th century when the city was known as the Toyshop of Europe.
By 1770, there was a considerable list of jewellers in the town and it was said of them, "The artists hold the first rank among the merchants for the elegance of their work." It was thereafter the jewellers and silversmiths began to gather in the district of Hockley. Craftsmen tended to work alone or in small companies, each specialising in one part of the operation.
Most significantly in 1773, the Quarter acquired its own assay office to guarantee the quality of the work. Jewellers and silversmiths, led by the great Matthew Boulton, had been agitating for the change so they did not have to travel to Chester or London. At the same time Sheffield was campaigning to open an Assay office and representatives of both cities jointly met at the Crown and Anchor pub in London to decide their hallmarks. A toss of a coin gave the crown to Sheffield and the anchors to Birmingham to represent where the jewellery had been hallmarked.
The industry received a boost in 1823 with the opening of the gas works - in Gas Street, of course - providing heat and light for the workshops. A year later, the Assay Office role was expanded to include the growing trade of gold. Soon it grew into the largest assay office in the country, carrying out more work than the other three major jewellery centres of the UK combined, a fact that still holds good today. The world famous School of Jewellery and Silversmiths was opened in Victoria Street in 1890 as a joint initiative by the jewellery industry and Birmingham's School of Art.
One of the Quarter's most famous landmarks, the clock tower known as Joey, at the heart of the Quarter, was erected in 1904 in honour of Joseph Chamberlain.
Today, the Jewellery Quarter is still filled with craftsmen, but since the early 1970's, it has opened its doors to the public with the growth of manufacturing and wholesale shops. It has also been designated a conservation area and has become a major tourist attraction, complete with a heritage centre.
The Jewellery Quarter can justly claim to be the jewel in Birmingham's crown.
QUICK ENQUIRY
If you have any questions please get in touch with our team on 0121 233 2547