Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter

A visit to the Jewellery Quarter isn’t complete without a trip to the museum. Easily one of the best free attractions in the Birmingham, it’s up to you whether you want to fork out the £4 for the tour or just have a look around the exhibits (which is free). Make sure you check out the times for the tour beforehand! The workshop is a real slice of history and worth the meager price tag!
The exhibits are laid out to show the history of Jewellery (with examples from all over the world) and give you a real insight into how the construction and cultural meaning of this kind of cosmetic artifact has developed into the modern age.
They also have displays from local designers and a good range of Jewellery for sale!
A really nice way to spend a Saturday morning.

I’ve heard such good thinks about this museum, so I thought it was about time I visited. I wish I hadn’t bothered.
The free exhibition part of the museum is well laid out and interesting, but I found the guided tour of the factory, which is the part I was most looking forward to, a real letdown. The group sizes are far too big — there were 19 people in the tour I was booked in — so unless you are lucky enough to be stood right at the front, you can’t actually see anything. The guide spoke only to the 3 or 4 people in front of hima nd ignored everybody else.
While it was fascinated to see the office and equpment left exactly as they had been when the factory closed its doors in 1981, I spent about 45 minutes of a 1 hour tour looking at the backs of people while the guide demonstarted the working practices of the time to the select few at the front.
In my opinion, the museum would do much better to have a guide in each room and let people walk through at their own pace, rather than sending such ridiculously large groups round together.
I would recommend people visit some of Birmingham’s other museums instead of wasting time on this one.

A jewel in the crown of Birmingham is the jewellery quarter. An area of the city which is famous for it’s jewellery and metal making heritage. The museum is set in a former jewellery making firm which ceased trading in the early 1980’s after eighty years trading. Unlike most museums which have artifacts restored and put on display, here the artifacts were left behind when the business closed it’s doors so you get a real sense of what it was like working in such a place. Tools, benches, machinery, overalls, all sorts of equipment have all been left behind as though time has been paused for future generations to witness. The museum is small but tells a big story. My tour guide was very knowledgeable on the hour long tour which includes a jewellery making demonstration where I learned many of the manufacturing techniques are still used in the area to this day. There’s a museum shop which stocks a small range of locally made jewellery and there’s a museum café offering light lunches, teas and coffees. As I was leaving a small group of school children were arriving for a hands on history lesson. Well worth a visit.

In my opinion, the Jewellery Quarter should be celebrated even more than it already is, such is its contribution to the city’s history and its independent spirit that proves there’s more to shopping in Birmingham than the Bullring. If you agree with me on that, then you may have already taken a tour of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter — if not though, then what are you waiting for?!
A time capsule that demonstrates the practices and effort that went into one family business who thrived in the area during the mid-​20^th century, the guided tour that takes visitors around the Smith and Pepper workshop is a treat for local history buffs and anyone interested in the jewellery industry. As I now work for a local jewellers in the Black Country area, I found it really interesting to get a sense of the dedication to the craft all jewellers share and the metalwork demonstration shows you the men who make the shiny things in action.
A great little gift shop is free to visit even if you don’t want to take the tour, and showcases an array of unique and affordable pieces from local designers that you will definitely want to come away with.
Great for a lazy weekday pop-​in, an educational school trip or if you’re on the lookout for a gift with a difference.

This small but perfectly formed museum has moved into the spotlight in recent years. It was named «Best Small Visitor Attraction» in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010 and it also featured in the New York Times guide to 36 Hours in Birmingham earlier this year.
It is located in the old Smith and Pepper jewellery factory that closed back in 1981. Time appears to have stood still, with the factory resembling something from 1901 rather than 1981. You can get a tour of the factory, which is near perfectly preserved. If you’re lucky you’ll also catch a live demonstration — it always strikes me how hot and dirty the jewellery making process can be.
There’s an excellent gift shop selling locally made jewellery, a café and some changing exhibitions. You can visit these for free, whilst the tour will set you back a mere £4.00. It is totally worth it and you’ll walk away with a really sense of pride in Birmingham’s industrial and creative past. I know I did!

Museum of the Jeweller Quarter is another little gem within the JQ. With changing exhibitions, there’s always something new and curious to see — but even if you don’t want to pay to enter, their gift shop is SO MUCH BETTER than most museum gift shops! The shop has cabinets of local and national jewellers work in a wide range of prices meaning you can usually find something you like AND can afford — and then if what you’re after is actually some more heritage information, they have books and trinkets linked to the area and the staff in the shop are extremely helpful! I picked up a keyring sized pair of working pliers which are awesome and always get me comments when I have my keys out!

Super museum in the Jewellery Quarter, which has its own Metro stop. It only takes a couple of minutes from the Metro to the Museum. Really fascinating tour of the factory, ending up with having your own little souvenir stamped out on one of the machines. Makes you realise what conditions were like when this was fully operational. Really worth a visit, and lots of jewellery shops nearby.

Fantastic museum, detailed and interesting tour with demonstrations of machinery. Nice little shop, no pushy staff and soon to open café. Unbelievably completely free! Perfect introduction to the jewellery industry.

The museum is based on a ‘time-​capsule’ jewellery factory. There are many museum shops which sells locally made designer maker jewellery in the Jewellery Quarter. You can relax in Café with great fresh coffee and baked caked. You can find the jewellery which you really want in the Jewellery Quarter.