With over three hundred years of history and tradition built up in Birminghams Jewellery Quarter, the one thing that there is absolutely no lack of is a deep knowledge and understanding of jewellery and the jewellery trade. There has been a strong tradition of education within the quarter since the foundation of the Municipal School for Jewellers and Silversmiths in 1888 and the emphasis on apprenticeships and on the job training goes back way beyond that into the mists of time.

These days there are a vast range of courses available both from educational establishments and from the larger retailers around the quarter for the general public to expand their knowledge of jewellery, design and manufacturing processes. Having a little knowledge about jewellery can be a real benefit to anyone interested in buying jewellery either for personal use or as a gift for a loved one, and there are some key principles that underpin an understanding of the artistry that is the jewelers trade.

The process starts with understanding the raw materials of the craft. Most jewellery is made from precious metals, most commonly gold, silver and platinum in varying levels of purity, and highlighted with precious and semi-precious gem stones, pearls, beads and so on to create something that is much more than the sum of its parts. Lives are devoted to the study of these raw materials, books are written about them, but there are some fundamentals that anyone interested in jewellery should know. All jewellery made from precious metals is hallmarked denoting the metal used, its purity, the manufacturer and the date of manufacture and these hallmarks are the start point in the story of a piece of jewellery.

The Birmingham assay office was founded in 1773 initially in three rooms of the Kings Head Inn on New Street before moving to purpose built premises. The hallmark denoting Birmingham manufacture is the anchor, a mark that is reputed to have come about because the meeting that decided that Birmingham and Sheffield could open an assay office was held in a London public house called the Crown and Anchor and on the toss of a coin Sheffield was given the Crown and Birmingham the anchor. It is the assay office that is responsible for making sure that any piece of jewellery is of the quality of materials that it purports to be.

When we look at the metallic elements, and particularly gold we see a range of purities referred to as carats from nine carat gold being the least pure and twenty four carat gold being the most pure and therefore the most valuable. Similarly with silver there is a world of difference between silver plate and hallmarked sterling silver. By understanding a little about the metals being used the customer can be more aware of what is available. There is a similar story when it comes to precious and semi-precious gemstones, but here the story is even more complicated with variations in gemstone quality and in the style and quality of the cut and polish and the way the gem interacts with light. By being aware that there are vast differences in the materials used, as a jewellery purchaser you will feel more confident in having a conversation with the many designers and manufacturers as well as the retailers that the jewellery quarter offers.

You’ll find that the quarter offers everything you could possibly want in jewellery from costume to custom, from fun to fabulous and from dazzling to delicious. Come and explore the jewellery quarter, you’ll find a treasure trove of retail outlets, manufacturers, designers and some wonderful history as well as great food and drink and a vibrant friendly atmosphere.