Working in the Jewellery Quarter
During the 18th century, Great Britain revolutionised the process of manufacturing goods.
If Britain was the ‘workshop of the world’, then the Jewellery Quarter was the goldsmith’s creative flair.
'Generations of jewellers are somehow soaked up into buildings.'
Once referred to as the ‘toy shop’ of Europe, the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter is now rich with 250 years of art, history and community spirit.
Since graduating university in 1995, Collette has worked amidst the hustle of bustle in a traditional goldsmith workshop.
'This is my world - this is where I'm happiest.'
Quite a few of the techniques she uses are centuries old and in Collette's words, 'this makes it quite a special craft'. Not much has changed over the years of jewellery design and creation, but your imagination is your only limit.
Working as a community, Collette’s suppliers and stockists are also small, independent and often family businesses. Not only does this cultivate long-lasting relationships, but it keeps the neighbourhood strong and prosperous.
Surrounded by creatives with years of expertise, the support and advise, without a doubt, enriches the quality of Collette’s work.
'I cannot imagine doing anything else.'
Described by English Heritage as ‘a national treasure’, it comes as no surprise that Collette simply loves the history and generations of jewellers which are ‘somehow soaked up into the buildings’.
'I feel lucky being a part of the history of jewellery...'
And we’ll leave you with a few of our favourite facts about The Jewellery Quarter:
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Over a THIRD of British jewellery comes from the jewellery quarter.
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Around 500 businesses currently operate here, including many fantastic bars and restaurants.
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A 2 minute walk from the station will get you straight into the heart of the jewellery quarter.
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In the 18th century, craftsmen were known as ‘small masters’, meaning they ran small, family businesses that produced large quantities of jewellery using hand-powered machinery (not much has changed!)
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Neck, Wrist and Ring Sizing
Neckwear
As a default all our pendants are hung on 18 inch chains. We have found this is the most popular length. We can supply our pendants on 16'' 18'' 20'' 22'' 24''.
To decide what is the best length for you, measure an existing chain that is a comfortable length and make a note to help when choosing.
Alternatively, use a piece of string or ribbon to determine the perfect length for you.
Click the image below to see our guide.
Wristwear
Bracelets are very straightforward. The universally accepted length is 7 to 71/2 inches. Ours all have a short extender chain to allow for a little variation.
Bangles can be a bit trickier. We have a great tool you can download to help with this. You can place your own bangle over the template or cut it out and carefully put your hand through the hole. We find the medium is by far our most popular size.
Click the image below to see our guide.
Rings
This to can be tricky, especially if it is for a surprise gift!
We have spent some time developing two tools on one page for you to help determine your size. There are clear instructions on the PDF tool that make it super easy to use and has proven to given accurate measurements.
Click the image below to see our guide.
Collette Ikimotu
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