Birmingham Jewellery Quarter

Chamberlain's Clock & Signpost The Big Peg in the Background

Hockley Flyer Wall Plaque Featuring Marie Hoddleton's Shopping Trolley

The Quarter
The quarter itself appears to be symbolised by the Chamberlain Clock, with Vyse Street, Warstone Lane, and Frederick Street forming a crossroads. The "Big Peg" is well-known locally at least as a rather soul-less looking concrete building which houses many small craft jewellery businesses. The area extends to Icknield Street, Great Hampton Street, Constitution Hill, Spencer Street, Branston Street, Newhall Lane, Vittoria Street, Caroline Street, Pitsford Street, Tenby Street, Albion Street, Legge Lane, Charlotte Street, Hockley Street, St, Paul's Square, and there must be a few parts we have missed.

Jewellery Quarter Museum & More
Birmingham has an old established metal-bashing reputation, and precious metals were only a part of this. It boasts one of only four Assay Offices in the UK, in Newhall Street, the other three being in London, Sheffield, and Edinburgh. There are a number of bullion dealers and refiners, which supply gold, silver and platinum, as sheet, wire, casting grain, and semi-manufactured components to the trade.
Not only does the quarter have its own museum, but the City Council have a regeneration scheme which seems to be aimed at preserving the character of the area, unlike Hatton Garden in London.
Matthew Boulton's old factory is not far away, and the Birmingham Mint was once part of his old empire, as was Soho House, now another museum.

The Queen of Hockley & the Hockley Flyer
The quarter even has its own queen, Marie Haddleton, one-woman campaigner for the area, editor and owner of "The Hockley Flyer", the quarter's own unique publication. There is a pub called The Jeweller's Arms, and the Jewellery Quarter Railway Station on Vyse Street.

http://www.ybapublications.co.uk/thehockleyflyer/

Trade & Retail
Most of the activity in the quarter is within the trade itself, so there are many small workshops providing specialised services such as model-making, mounting, setting, polishing, plating, which sub-contract to many of the other companies large and small in the area. There are also a number of retail jewellery shops, and "cash and carry" outlets. Although some of these used to provide some reasonable bargains, often they have been taken over by larger manufacturers to shift their unsold or returned stock, and much of it is cheap jewellery as opposed to good jewellery sold at cheap prices. As with any other shopping experience, it pays to think carefully about what you wish to buy, and shop around.

The Chard Connection
We use the services of a number of the specialists in this area, and although we only pay an occasional visit to the area, consider ourselves to be a jewellery manufacturer with a strong Hockley connection. We also sell a few of our products to people in the area, including ring mounts, and pink diamonds. We have received a number of comments to the effect that our mounts are of better quality than most available in the area, a fact of which we are justifiably proud, especially as they were using our mounts to create rings for themselves and their own families.

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