Learn about how Birmingham became a jewelry capital

Birmingham was a manufacturing powerhouse during the Industrial Revolution, with the jewelry industry being one of its most enduring industries. A large portion of business was centered on the Jewellery Quarter, a charming area that still manufactures 40% of the jewelry in the UK.

The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is an intriguing time capsule into Birmingham's past with its perfectly restored workshops and live demonstrations. Don't forget to check out the area's eccentric bars and eateries, such as the appropriately named 1000 Trades and the mystical The Wilderness.

Today, the Jewellery Quarter is a bustling hub of creative businesses, restaurants, bars, venues and apartments. Jewellery is still a big part of Birmingham’s future too, as there are approximately 700 jewellers in the area – with 400 of them manufacturing around 40% of the UK’s jewellery output. The world’s largest Assay Office is also in the Jewellery Quarter, with approximately 12 million items hallmarked each year.

You can also find a number of museums celebrating the Quarter’s proud past – such as the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and the Pen Museum – as well as the only remaining Georgian square in Birmingham, St Paul’s Square. All of these accolades are quite some feat for a one-square-kilometre (0.4-square-mile) area of Birmingham with a population of just 19,000!