The Birmingham Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter is the ancient name by which the area of Hockley is more familiarly known within the city. The jewellery trade developed here over hundreds of years from metal products in the 16th century to its glory days as the most important centre for Britain’s jewellery trade outside London at the height of the industrial revolution
Beginnings of the Jewellery Trade
Metalworking, the forerunner of Birmingham’s jewellery trade, was already established in the 1500s. Birmingham’s metalworkers were constantly striving to better their products and produce what the customer wanted. Before specialising in jewellery, cutlery, swords and nails, then snuff boxes, mirrors, candelabra and guns were the Jewellery Quarter’s stock-in-trade. By the 1700s jewellery and silverware were important items and an assay office was opened. During the industrial revolution, Birmingham became more and more wealthy, based on hard work, innovation and ingenuity and supported by such famous industrial reformers as Matthew Boulton and James Watt.
The Birmingham Toy Trade
The Hockley area’s toy industry was the immediate forerunner of the jewellery trade and included the manufacture of a wide range of small items made from steel, such as buckles, brooches and various trinkets. The 19th century saw a shift towards the manufacture of jewellery and buttons in the area.
The Development of the Jewellery Trade
In the late 18th century there were over 7000 workers engaged in the jewellery trade, centred on the Hockley region of Birmingham which then became known as the Jewellery Quarter.
Tradesmen worked from home, or in small workshops, and mainly specialised in a particular craft. Services such as making the tools required for the jewellery trade also grew up in the area, complementing the local specialist crafts. This produced a strong sense of community in the Jewellery Quarter, which soon gained national and international respect for its industry.
The gold rushes in 19th century USA and Australia led to an increase in the supply of gold and a demand for jewellery. The Birmingham Assay Office was granted permission to hallmark gold items from 1824, a prestigious development for the area.
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