The Jewellery Quarter
For over 200 years this compact neighbourhood has shaped Birmingham's identity — master jewellers hammering gold sit side-by-side with indie cafés, Georgian squares and some of the city's best bars. It is the only place in Europe officially recognised as a World Craft City by the World Crafts Council, and it wears that title with effortless cool.
A World Craft City on Your Doorstep
The Jewellery Quarter was established in the 18th century and flourished during the Industrial Revolution, and today it is home to more than 100 specialist jewellery designers and retailers concentrated on Vyse Street and Warstone Lane. Jewellers here are happy to make one-off, personalised pieces — so this is the place to commission something you will never find in a chain store.
The neighbourhood's historic credentials go beyond gold and silver. St Paul's Square — Birmingham's only surviving Georgian square — sits at the heart of the quarter, its handsome church surrounded by trees, restaurants and buzzing bars. Start any self-guided walk at the ornate Chamberlain Clock, which marks the centre of the district, and let the cobbled streets do the rest.
Museums, Markets & Hidden Factories
The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is built around a perfectly preserved workshop frozen in time, giving you a visceral sense of life on the factory floor. Nearby, the Coffin Works — a restored Victorian factory — offers one of Birmingham's most surprisingly gripping heritage experiences, while the Pen Museum lets you try your hand at calligraphy using 19th-century machinery.
When hunger strikes, Pasta di Piazza tucked beside St Paul's Square serves handmade pastas and daily specials in a warm, unhurried setting. For something livelier, the Indian Brewery Taproom pours pints brewed on-site alongside masala fries and butter chicken pizzas — Birmingham street food at its most joyful.
The Jewellery Quarter on video
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