Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter provides a guided tour around a time capsule of a jewelry workshop, where very little has changed since the early part of the last century. For over 80 years, Smith and Pepper produced jewelry from this workshop, which was founded in 1899. When the elderly couple retired in 1981, they simply locked the door. Everything was left as it was: tools on benches, overalls hanging on coat hooks, even cups of tea and jars of jam and Marmite. Demonstrations and stories will guide you through the 200-year history of ancient crafting skills that made Birmingham the center of the British jewelry industry. The Earth Riches gallery showcases jewelry made from a wide range of material found in the natural world, including whale tooth, coral, diamond, and platinum. Original jewelry created by local designers and jewelers is available to purchase from the museum shop. Take the guesswork out of planning a Birmingham vacation by using our trip itinerary maker.