|

The
Jewellery Quarter is within walking distance of
Birmingham city centre. For over 200 years jewellery
manufacturers have operated from this area of
the city. The area is now a tourist attraction
in its own right.
As you walk through the side streets many of the
traditional craftsmen's workshops will look much
the same as they did in the nineteenth century.
However, this is not a museum. This is a living
and thriving business community. Jewellery is
still produced here and indeed sold to the general
public as well as the trade. The shops in the
Jewellery Quarter offer a wide selection of classical
jewellery, often at prices far less than in the
high street stores. After all, it is made here.
The jewellery industry by it nature has always
tended to congregate in a central area. The process
of manufacture and requirement for a variety of
skills is one reason why traders prefer to work
in the same locality in this close knit community.
If you are interested in taking a tour round a
real working example of jewellery in the making
and the history of the jewellery quarter you might
like to take a look at the Discovery
Centre.

This article is archived. To add comments, amend or update this article please click on the image below:

|