Birmingham Independence: Why tourists are attracted to the Jewellery Quarter

Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter is celebrated as the birthplace of the original FA Cup, lauded as a prime filming location (see BBC’s “Hustle” and “Peaky Blinders”) and renowned as the home of Europe’s largest School of Jewellery.

Sonny Jeweller’s is situated in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter

According to a 2024 report by SumUp, Birmingham is in the top three locations for independent businesses across the UK. Not only that, but the independent businesses within the city also scored an average customer satisfaction rating of 4.1 in the same survey. Of the 800 businesses residing within the Jewellery Quarter, the vast majority are independent: from jewellers and florists to chocolatiers and boutique fashion stores.

As one of Birmingham’s longest-standing neighbourhoods, the Quarter is home to over 200 listed buildings. Around 50 per cent of these are actively used as jewellery stores to this day and account for around 40 per cent of all jewellery made in Britain.

“The Jewellery Quarter is one of the few places in Birmingham where craftsmanship still counts,” says Monika Jockute, store manager for Sonny’s Jewellers, “no matter what you’re looking for, you will always be able to find it here.”

As one of the Quarter’s prominent stores, multi award-winning Sonny’s Jewellers specialises in creating lasting memories through the curation of treasured moments for every occasion. The store also specialises in the recycling and sustainable remodelling of precious metals.

Attracting crafts of all varieties, the Jewellery Quarter is unlike anywhere else in the UK. From allied trades to manufacturing businesses, the skilled craftspeople of the Quarter have created a thriving urban village in the heart of Birmingham’s city centre.

“We know UK tourism is growing and since the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham has really been placed on the map,” says Josie Wall, Marketing Manager for the Jewellery Quarter Business Improvement District (JQBID). “We’re really proud to be involved with continuing initiatives like Birmingham Heritage Week along with new programmes such as the 100 days of Creativity this summer. Planning is also underway with an annual favourite: the JQ Festival (20 July) which will host live music, art and theatre throughout the area.”

JQBID helps to support independent businesses save money by pooling resources, by offering training, networking and marketing support to help tackle widespread issues such as skill shortages and keeping up in an increasingly digital world. Working with the likes of the West Midlands Growth Company, JQBID has recently met with Indian and German tourism businesses to further attract holidaymakers to the area.

“Independent business make unique products that you simply can’t find elsewhere. On top of that, the money stays in the local economy and makes life better for the community as a whole,” explains Monika. “Independent businesses can provide a unique, personal service that a big corporation can’t. When you shop with small companies, everything is a result of their creativity, talent and hard work and it’s vital that people keep supporting these amazing businesses.”

As a bastion of creativity and an epicentre of fine jewellery and creativity, the Jewellery Quarter truly is a one-stop-shop for all tourism needs. Full of history, culture and craftsmanship, the Quarter’s independent business owners are sure to provide spaces where people love to live, work, shop and visit for years to come.