There are many buying guides available that will tell you all about what to look for in a gem stone, or what hallmarks to look for on the metal of the jewellery, and these guides are tremendously useful for anyone looking for re-assurance with regard to a piece of jewellery that they are planning to buy, but there is one area that it is much harder to write a guide for, and that is aesthetic appeal. Within the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham we have an eviable reputation for allowing the public access to the designers, artisans and master jewelers directly. Many of the retail shops that you see along the streets of the quarter are selling pieces that were made within walking distance of the shop in the many workshops and small factories that fill the side streets.

This allows you an almost unique opportunity to have something created that is truly unique and absolutely matches your requirements, but it also means that one of the most important aspects of jewellery buying in Birmingham is understanding what you actually want, and here it is a question of personal taste and the ability to convey an idea in such a way that it can be turned into a physical product. What the majority of the buying guides out there don’t do so well is to give you advice and guidance on how to get the piece of jewellery that you want from an idea in your head to a work of art that you will treasure forever.

The first thing that is required is a little confidence. It can be quite overwhelming and intimidating on a first visit to the jewellery quarter seeing so many shops all selling the most beautiful gold, silver and platinum products in a dizzying array of styles, designs and forms with something for everyone, so the first piece of advice in this guide is to be brave, and take that step from window gazing at all the lovely works to stepping through that door and starting a conversation with the shop owner or their staff. You’ll find that there are few people as friendly, as willing to talk, and as passionate about their products as the people of the Jewellery Quarter.

Having made that first step, the next piece of advice is to spend time having a look around at the many different styles and designs of jewellery. Even in something as apparently simple as a solitaire diamond ring there can be huge variations in the metal used, the cut and clarity of the gem, the setting of the stone and the way the ring feels on the finger and the more you look around the displays the better the idea in your mind of what is the right ring for you. Once again, talking to the experts that you will find all over the quarter can be a tremendous benefit when it comes to finding something that will suit you to perfection, and if you can’t find exactly what you want on display, that conversation will lead you to someone who can create a unique piece that is perfect for you.

The Jewellery Quarter has a tremendous range of things to do and see and spending a day here is amazingly easy, so come and join us, take your time, relax and enjoy immersing yourself in the beauty, elegance and style of the home of some of the best Jewellery in the World.