Birmingham has a craft and jewellery history dating back hundreds of years. The Discovery Centre captures it’s history and unravels some of the mysteries behind the goldsmiths traditions and craftsmanship. The jewellery quarter came into being as a result of convenience.
The diversity of jewellery manufacturing and the variety of expertise required brought together a pool of specialists.
The Jewellery Quarter Discovery Centre is the result of restored workshops of a family firm called Smith and Pepper who only ceased trading in 1981 due to retirement of the partners. Not only is the Discovery Centre an interesting insight into this fascinating trade, it is also a living and working museum.
Demonstrations from real goldsmiths show you the techniques used in production of jewellery. Complete with offices, workshops and machinery, this is the real thing. Former employees helped restore the museum to its original state and what you see today is the result of a painstaking restoration project that has even made ex employees comment that ‘this was the way it was’.
The Jewellery Quarter Discovery Centre is managed by Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery on behalf of the Birmingham City Council.
Leave a Reply