Located in the heart of Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter, the School has been a leader in the field since 1890.
On November 4, 1889, the Birmingham Jewellery and Silversmiths Association (now the British Jewellers Association) held an historical meeting attended by representatives from the principal jewellery and silverware manufacturing companies.
The purpose was to discuss setting up an exclusive school for the jewellery making industry. The Association achieved its objective and a new school opened in the factory building at 84 Vittoria Street, which it still occupies, on September 18, 1890.
From September 2014, the School became part of the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media. This Faculty embodies the strong creative and cultural offering of the University and we play a highly significant role in that.
Spread over three characterful buildings, the School of Jewellery boasts horology labs, 3D printing, silversmithing, jewellery and gemmology laboratories and more.
Vittoria Street
This extraordinary listed Venetian Gothic building is a fitting home for a stunning jewellery school. Our Vittoria Street building hosts undergraduate courses including jewellery, silversmithing, and horology, as well as the exhibition space that provides the filming location for All That Glitters.
Our Centre for Design and Digital Manufacturing is situated within the heart of Vittoria Street and offers expertise in computer-aided design and manufacturing, rapid prototyping, and has a state-of-the-art precious metal laser sintering facility.
Assay Office
Opened in 2016, the state-of-the-art Assay Office hosts gemmology and international jewellery business undergraduate courses. The office gives students access to the highest specification of equipment available for gemmological education in the UK.
St Paul's
Our building in the historic St Paul’s Square offers a new facility, including the expanded library and computer suite. Officially opened in November 2019 by the Lord Mayor, St Paul’s hosts our postgraduate jewellery design students and our research facility.
