In June 2025, Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter received a designation that most of us here had been quietly hoping for: World Craft City status, awarded by the World Crafts Council, a UNESCO-affiliated organisation. It places Birmingham alongside Jaipur and Kyoto as one of just eight sites in Europe to hold the title, and the only one recognised specifically for Jewellery and Allied Trades.
As someone who trained at the School of Jewellery and has built a bespoke jewellery practice here in the Quarter, this felt like validation of something I already knew: that this half-square-mile of workshops, studios, and foundries is one of the most remarkable places in the world to make fine jewellery. But what does that actually mean if you are a buyer? That is what I want to unpack in this piece.
What Is World Craft City Status?
The World Crafts Council (WCC) is an international non-governmental organisation affiliated with UNESCO. It works to promote and support craft traditions across the globe. The World Craft City designation is awarded to places that demonstrate exceptional craft heritage, a thriving maker community, and a genuine commitment to developing craft skills into the future.
The application process is rigorous. Birmingham's bid was led by the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT) and Birmingham City University, with support from Birmingham City Council and the Goldsmiths' Company. An international panel of judges visited the Quarter in April 2025, toured workshops and studios, participated in a silversmithing session at the School of Jewellery, and met representatives from some of the area's most respected firms.
Their verdict was unequivocal. World Crafts Council President Saad Al-Qaddumi described Birmingham's recognition as a celebration of the city's "rich heritage, skilled artisans, creative designers, proud makers, and innovative contributions to the jewellery industry."
In practical terms, this designation is an internationally recognised quality mark. It tells the world that the craft ecosystem here is not just surviving but flourishing, and that it meets the highest global standards for heritage, skill, and innovation.
A Brief History of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter
To understand why the World Craft City designation matters, you need to understand how remarkable the Jewellery Quarter actually is. Its roots stretch back over 250 years.
By the late 18th century, Birmingham was already known as the "city of a thousand trades." Metalworkers of every description clustered in the streets north-west of the city centre, drawn by access to raw materials, skilled labour, and an entrepreneurial culture that rewarded innovation. The area that became the Jewellery Quarter began to specialise in fine metalwork, jewellery, and silversmithing, and by the Victorian era it was the single largest concentration of jewellery manufacturing in the world.
At its peak, the Quarter employed over 30,000 people in jewellery-related trades. The Birmingham Assay Office, founded in 1773, was established specifically to hallmark the enormous volume of precious metal goods being produced here. It still operates today, and the anchor hallmark it stamps on every piece remains one of the most recognised marks of quality in British jewellery.
The Quarter's physical fabric tells its own story. Many of the original workshops survive, with their distinctive top-lit workrooms designed to maximise natural light for intricate benchwork. The listed buildings along Vyse Street, Warstone Lane, and Spencer Street house the same kinds of businesses they did a century ago: gem setters, engravers, polishers, casters, enamellers, and designers.
Today, the Jewellery Quarter still produces approximately 40% of all jewellery made in the United Kingdom. It is home to over 700 businesses in the jewellery and allied trades, from sole-trader bench jewellers to internationally known brands. The School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University, based in the Grade II-listed Vittoria Street building, trains the next generation of makers and has produced some of the industry's most celebrated designers.
What the World Craft City Designation Means for Buyers
If you are considering commissioning a piece of bespoke jewellery or investing in fine jewellery, the World Craft City designation should genuinely influence your thinking. Here is why.
1. Independent Verification of Craft Excellence
Anyone can claim to be a skilled jeweller. The World Craft City designation is an independent, internationally recognised endorsement of an entire ecosystem of craft. When you buy from a Jewellery Quarter designer, you are buying from someone who works within a community that has been independently assessed and validated at the highest level.
2. Access to the Full Supply Chain
One of the Jewellery Quarter's great advantages is that the entire supply chain exists within walking distance. Precious metal refiners, stone dealers, specialist casters, engravers, setters, polishers, and hallmarking services are all here. When you commission bespoke from a JQ designer, they are not outsourcing to anonymous factories overseas. They are working with specialists they know personally, often in the same building or the next street over. You can trace every stage of your piece's creation.
3. Depth of Skill and Specialisation
The concentration of craft knowledge here is extraordinary. A bespoke jeweller in the Quarter can call on specialist hand engravers, stone setters who work exclusively with microscopic pave, master enamellers, and casters who have spent decades perfecting their techniques. This depth of specialisation means your piece benefits from the accumulated expertise of an entire community, not just one individual.
4. Heritage Meets Innovation
The World Craft City judges specifically praised Birmingham's combination of heritage craftsmanship and innovation. This is not a museum piece of an industry. The Quarter is home to CAD designers, 3D printing studios, and makers who blend centuries-old techniques with cutting-edge technology. The result is jewellery that honours traditional skills while pushing creative boundaries.
5. Accountability and Reputation
Working within a tight-knit community creates natural accountability. Jewellers in the Quarter know each other. Reputation matters deeply. The businesses that thrive here do so because they consistently deliver quality work. When you commission from a JQ maker, you benefit from this culture of mutual accountability and professional pride.
Why Choose a Jewellery Quarter Designer for Bespoke?
Bespoke jewellery is, by definition, a personal process. You are not selecting from a catalogue. You are working with a designer to create something that exists nowhere else. The Jewellery Quarter offers a unique environment for this kind of work, and the World Craft City designation only reinforces what has always been true about commissioning here.
Direct access to the maker. In the Quarter, you can sit with the person who will design and oversee the creation of your piece. Many JQ designers maintain their own workshops, so you can see where your ring, necklace, or bracelet will be made. This transparency builds trust and gives you a genuine connection to the process.
Competitive pricing without compromising quality. Because the supply chain is local and overheads are often lower than in London's West End or Mayfair, Jewellery Quarter designers can offer exceptional quality at prices that reflect the true cost of skilled craftsmanship rather than inflated retail margins. You are paying for the work, not the postcode.
A community, not a factory. When your designer needs a specialist skill, whether that is microscopic setting, hand engraving, or a particular casting technique, they can walk to the workshop next door. This collaborative approach means your bespoke piece benefits from the best available expertise at every stage, something that simply is not possible when a single jeweller works in isolation.
Education and informed choices. The School of Jewellery produces graduates who understand not just how to make beautiful objects, but how to communicate the process to clients. JQ designers tend to be excellent at explaining options, guiding you through material choices, and helping you understand exactly what you are getting. This educational approach to bespoke means you make informed decisions rather than relying on sales patter.
Silux London's Story Within the Jewellery Quarter
I came to Birmingham from Iran in 2017 to study at the School of Jewellery. I had been working as a CAD designer in the jewellery industry since 2015, but I wanted to train at one of the world's foremost centres of jewellery education. The School of Jewellery did not disappoint.
During my time at BCU and in the years that followed, working for seven years in Britain's largest fine jewellery manufacturer, I developed a deep appreciation for the Jewellery Quarter's unique ecosystem. The combination of heritage skill, technical innovation, and creative ambition is unlike anywhere I have worked. It is the reason I chose to build Silux London here.
Silux London draws on my Persian heritage and my training in Birmingham's jewellery tradition. The name itself is a fusion: Silk Road and Luxury. My collections explore geometric patterns drawn from Persian architecture, garden motifs from Isfahan's historic landscapes, and the interplay between precision engineering and organic beauty that defines the best of both cultures.
The work has been recognised along the way. I have been awarded three times by the Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Council (2018, 2020, and 2024), received an A' Design Award Gold in 2019, and was granted a UK Global Talent Visa in 2020 for exceptional ability in the arts. In 2025, I became a British citizen.
But these achievements are not just personal. They are a product of the environment the Jewellery Quarter provides. The specialist casters, setters, and polishers I work with are all here. The Assay Office that hallmarks every piece is a short walk away. The culture of craft excellence that the World Craft City designation recognises is something I experience every working day.
When you commission a bespoke piece from Silux London, you are commissioning from within this ecosystem. Every ring, pendant, and pair of earrings I create benefits from the Quarter's collective expertise, its supply chain, and its culture of uncompromising quality.
How to Commission Bespoke Jewellery in the Jewellery Quarter
If the World Craft City designation has piqued your interest and you are considering commissioning a bespoke piece, here is what the process typically looks like when working with a JQ designer.
Step 1: Initial Consultation
Most JQ designers offer an initial consultation, either in person at their workshop or remotely via video call. This is your opportunity to share your vision, discuss your budget, and explore ideas. A good designer will listen more than they talk at this stage.
Step 2: Design Development
Your designer will create sketches, CAD renders, or both, depending on the complexity of the piece. At Silux London, I use 3D CAD modelling to create photorealistic visualisations so you can see exactly how your piece will look before any metal is cut. Revisions are part of the process.
Step 3: Material Selection
Choosing your metals and stones is one of the most exciting parts of bespoke. Your designer will guide you through options, explain the characteristics of different materials, and help you balance aesthetics with budget. In the Jewellery Quarter, stone dealers are nearby, so you can often view and select your gemstones in person.
Step 4: Creation
Once the design is approved, creation begins. Depending on the piece, this may involve casting, hand fabrication, stone setting, engraving, polishing, and hallmarking. In the Quarter, each of these stages may be handled by a different specialist, all working within the same community. Typical timescales range from four to eight weeks, depending on complexity.
Step 5: Delivery
Your finished piece is hallmarked at the Birmingham Assay Office, presented in bespoke packaging, and delivered to you. Many JQ designers, including myself, also provide aftercare services: resizing, cleaning, and maintenance to ensure your piece lasts a lifetime.
If you would like to start a conversation about a bespoke commission, I would be glad to hear from you. Visit our bespoke jewellery page to learn more about the process and get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the World Crafts Council?
The World Crafts Council is an international non-governmental organisation affiliated with UNESCO. It was founded in 1964 to promote, strengthen, and support crafts and craftspeople worldwide. The World Craft City designation is one of its most prestigious programmes.
Is the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter really that significant?
Yes. The Quarter produces approximately 40% of all jewellery made in the UK and is home to over 700 businesses in the jewellery and allied trades. It has been a centre of jewellery manufacturing for over 250 years and is home to the Birmingham Assay Office, one of the UK's four assay offices. The World Craft City designation places it alongside globally recognised craft centres like Jaipur and Kyoto.
Does buying from the Jewellery Quarter guarantee quality?
The World Craft City designation is an endorsement of the ecosystem as a whole, not a guarantee for any individual business. However, the Quarter's culture of craft excellence, peer accountability, and the presence of the Birmingham Assay Office all create an environment where quality is the norm rather than the exception. Always check a designer's credentials, portfolio, and reviews before commissioning.
How does pricing in the Jewellery Quarter compare to London?
Jewellery Quarter designers generally offer more competitive pricing than equivalent London-based makers. This is because overheads are lower and the local supply chain reduces costs. You are paying for craftsmanship and materials, not premium retail rents. Bespoke pieces from the Quarter often represent significantly better value than comparable work from London's West End.
Can I visit the Jewellery Quarter?
Absolutely. The Jewellery Quarter is a vibrant, walkable area with many workshops, showrooms, and studios open to visitors. The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter offers fascinating insight into the area's history. Many designers, including Silux London, welcome visitors by appointment.
What makes Silux London different from other JQ designers?
Silux London combines Persian artistic heritage with Birmingham's craft tradition. My training at the School of Jewellery, seven years in Britain's largest fine jewellery manufacturer, and recognition from the Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Council all inform my approach. Every piece draws on geometric precision, cultural storytelling, and the highest standards of British craftsmanship. I work directly with clients from initial concept through to delivery, and every piece is made within the Jewellery Quarter ecosystem.
The World Craft City designation is more than a title. It is recognition of a living, breathing community of makers who have kept the craft of fine jewellery alive in Birmingham for over two and a half centuries. If you are considering investing in bespoke jewellery, there has never been a better time to look to the Jewellery Quarter.
