Jewelry Quarter, Birmingham Overview

The Jewellery Quarter is a heritage area in central Birmingham, northwest of Birmingham City Centre, which is famous for its jewellery manufacturing industry. This urban village boasts of a unique connection to the Industrial Revolution and now houses some of the most popular and celebrated jewellers of England. With great bars, restaurants, boutiques and jewellery stores, the Jewellery Quarter area is a great stop for history buffs, artists, and jewellery lovers.

Step back in time, walk into a Victorian lane and watch the masters at work, designing the most intricate necklaces, rings, earrings, and brooches. The eclectic appeal of Jewellery Quarter is best enjoyed through walking tours, with ample stops to wine, dine and enjoy the brilliant craftsmanship of the master jewelers on display.

Things to Do at Jewellery Quarter

Jewelry Quarter — A colourful cafe at Jewellery Quarter (Source)

Food and Dining
Choose from a wide variety of posh restaurants, cafés, cocktail bars, pubs, and inns to take a break while shopping.

Take your pick from a wide range of bars including The Button Factory, Indian Brewery, Ana Rocha Bar & Gallery, Stirlings Bar and Eatery, 40 St Paul’s Bar, The Rebel Chicken, The Church, and Fredericks Coffee Lounge and Bar.
Popular pubs include The Wolf, 1000 Trades, Rose Villa Tavern, The Shakespeare, The Jewellers Arms, and The Lord Clifden.
For a quick snack, stroll into cafés like Salcooks, 3 Threes Coffee Lounge, Lunchi, The Hylton Café, Greggs, Travelodge, Uban, Vee’s Deli, Coffee Tales, Saint Kitchen, or Café Neo.

Museums

The Museum of Birmingham Jewellery Quarter gives a fascinating insight into the history of the region, with displays and demonstration of tools and trinkets used in jewelry making.
The Pen Museum boasts of thousands of writing instruments, from fountain pens, quills, and ball-points. Free demonstrations are also held.
The Newman Brothers Factory Museum offers fascinating insights into Victorian engineering and coffin furniture, with its perfectly maintained workspaces and costumed guides who demonstrate factory life in the nineteenth century. Entry is priced at GBP 6 for adults and GBP 4 for children below 16 years of age.

Music Performances
The Jam House offers music performances and recitals every evening, and is located in a stunning seventeenth-century building. Catch jazz, rock and blues performances every evening here. Ana Rocha Bar & Gallery has live music every evening.

Parks

St Paul’s Church is home to Birmingham’s last Georgian Square, and has a beautiful garden where visitors can relax and contemplate.
Warstone Lane cemetery pays homage to soldiers of World War I, and offers solitude and calm.

RBSA Art Gallery, Jewellery Quarter — RBSA Art Gallery (Source)

Art Galleries

The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) Gallery runs a local artist gallery, engaging with the visual arts through demonstrations, workshops, and exhibitions.
Argentea Gallery exhibits contemporary British and international photography.
Ana Rocha Bar & Gallery has a carefully curated permanent collection of antiques, watches, and paintings that are available for purchase too.
Artisan Alchemy Gallery is a hub of artisan furniture and jewelry, where visitors can commission custom pieces.
St Paul’s Gallery is a music-related exhibition which is home to signed limited edition album cover art prints, concert artifacts, photographs, and portraits of banks like Pink Floyd, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and artists like Madonna, Frank Zappa, and David Bowie.

Jewellery Quarter Shops

Strike up a bargain and shop for some of the most exquisite jewellery in the UK, from more than 800 stores – choose from vintage designs, custom-made jewelry, antique wares, and hand-crafted ornaments.

Designer stores like Anna de Ville, Bond & Martin, Isabella Hart, Michele White, Samson Gold, Marlow’s Diamonds, Vault 88, The Gem Studio, Béo London, and Aariya Diamonds cater to commissioned needs.
Diamonds, gemstones, and pearls can be found at Zoila, Bicknell's, Summer and Silver, Guildsman, The Stone Room at 93, Quo Vadis, Crystalink, and Cirrus Diamonds.
Gold, platinum, and silver jewelry are available at Fei Liu Fine Jewelry, Element Bespoke, K. M. Taylor, James Newman, Warstone Jewellers, Shirley’s, Platinum Jewelers, Adamas Antique Jewelry, Silver Seagull Limited, Crescent Silver, and Anna de Ville.
Famous watch merchants include GemPort Jewelry, Hockley Watch Centre, Watch Service Centre, S. P. Green and Co. Ltd., GM International, Bullring Jewelry, and Lois Jewelry.
For wedding rings, visit Diamonds Factory, Regency Jewellers, Stanley’s, Kate Gilliand, Cheshires, Cirrus Diamonds, Victoria James, The Quarter Workshop, Classic Diamonds, or Hockley Jewellers.

Walking Tours

Jewelry Quarter in World War I
Take a walk back in time and witness the workings of Jewelry Quarter during the war – from refugee camps and women’s factories to regiments and the war memorial.

Time: 60 minutes
Points of interest: Joseph Hudson’s Factory, Mills Munitions Factory, Warstone Lane Cemetery, Cohen Factory, Jewellers Companies

Hidden and Lost
Take the road less travelled and discover the hidden wonders of Jewelry Quarter, including the home of James Watt, a private canal, Birmingham’s oldest school, and the region’s oldest coin mint.

Time: 70 minutes
Points of interest: Warstone Lane Cemetery, New Hall, Miss Caroline’s Canal, St Paul’s National School, Regent’s Place, Kaye House, Kenyon Street Police Station, Hockley Brooke, Birmingham Mint

Communication and Travel
Walk down a lane from the 1300s, step into a steel outhouse from the nineteenth century, explore underground tram networks, and get a bird’s eye view of Birmingham from the tallest tower of the region in this eclectic tour combining the past and the present glories of Jewelry Quarter.

Time: 60 minutes
Points of interest: Anchor Exchange, BT Tower, canal network, Hockley Station, Sand Pit Road, The Temple of Relief

The Quarter by Numbers
Explore the streets of Jewellery Quarters with quirky numbers – walk by thirteen locks, a hundred and fifty-metre tall tower, a four-hundred-year-old church, a room with a thousand pens, and much more.

Time: 50 minutes
Points of interest: Charm Bracelet Trail, Pen Room, Old Thirteen, BT Tower, Birmingham Assay, Smith and Pepper Factory, St Paul’s Church

Gruesome Jewelry Quarters: Uncover the dark mysteries of Jewellery Quarter and take a tour of a haunted cemetery, drink in pubs frequented by poltergeists, and stand in the very spot where the UK’s last public hanging was conducted.

Time: 60 minutes
Points of interest: Warstone Cemetery, The Red Lion, Queens Arms, Snow Hill

Jewelry Quarter Firsts
Discover some spectacular details about Jewellery Quarter and explore the setting where plastic was invented, the first commercial pen was made, the first tram line was set up, the first police whistle was made, models of the FA Cup were cast, and more!