Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter is an area of central Birmingham, England, in the north-western area of Birmingham City Centre, with a population of 19,000 in a 1.07-square-kilometre (264-acre) area.
Jewellery Quarter
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Jewellery Quarter Location within the West Midlands | |
| Area | 1.07 km2 (0.41 sq mi) |
| Population | 19,000 approx. |
| • Density | 17,757/km2 (45,990/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SP072889 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Shire county |
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| Metropolitan county |
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| Region |
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| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BIRMINGHAM |
| Postcode district | B1, B3 and B18 |
| Dialling code | 0121 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
The Jewellery Quarter is Europe's largest concentration of businesses involved in the jewellery trade and produces 40% of all the jewellery made in the UK. It is also home to the world's largest Assay Office, which hallmarks around 12 million items a year. Historically the Jewellery Quarter has been the birthplace of many pioneering advancements in industrial technology.
At its peak in the early 1900s the Jewellery Quarter employed more than 30,000 people, however owing to foreign competition and lack of demand, the industry declined throughout the 20th century. The area was then transformed into an urban village and hub for creative businesses whilst maintaining its urban fabric. Its historical importance led to numerous conservation schemes and it is an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.