| The Birmingham Jewellery Quarter is an | | | | enamelled badges, civic & society's regalia, |
| historic industrial area of international | | | | ceremonial chains, traditional handcrafted |
| importance located immediately to the north | | | | enamels, corporate jewellery, awards, and |
| and north-west of Chamberlain Square in the | | | | trophies. The company also offers a free |
| centre of Birmingham. The area is notable for | | | | design service; designing and manufacturing |
| its dense mix of converted houses, factories | | | | products to customers' exact requirements, |
| and ancillary buildings dating from the late | | | | and excels in one off bespoke products and |
| 18th century to the present day and largely | | | | small run production. They are also able to |
| associated with the production of jewellery | | | | undertake the specialised service of |
| and small metal wares. The significance of | | | | renovation and refurbishment of presentation |
| the Jewellery Quarter lies in its survival as | | | | jewels and pendants of office. |
| an inner-city cluster of specialist | | | | |
| industrial buildings, and also from its | | | | KJD Jewellers is also part of the Toye family |
| continuing role as the country's main centre | | | | they manufacture hand crafted, very high |
| for gold-jewellery production. The Quarter is | | | | quality vitreous enamel on precious metal |
| also an important repository of traditional | | | | designer cufflinks, to supply Jewellers and |
| craft skills, industrial processes and | | | | high end retail outlets throughout the world. |
| historic tools and machinery. | | | | Enamelling has its own unique history in |
| | | | Jewellery that stems back many hundreds of |
| Now occupying a space in the famous quarter | | | | years. Here is a very brief, summarised |
| is the London Badge and Button Company owned | | | | history. |
| by Toye Group of companies. The London Badge | | | | |
| and Button Company has over 30 years of | | | | The word enamel comes from the High German |
| experience in design and development of fine | | | | word "smelzan" later becoming "esmail" in Old |
| silver-gilt and silver designer cufflinks for | | | | French. Hence the current usage of "smalto" |
| high fashion men's accessories retailers and | | | | in Italian, "email" in French and German and |
| are now available online at | | | | "enamel" in English. |
| | | | |
| Toye, Kenning and Spencerare one of the | | | | It is thus defined as a vitreous, glass like |
| oldest family run businesses in the world, | | | | coating fused on to a metallic base. In |
| having been established in England over 300 | | | | history, enamels were initially applied on |
| years ago by a family of Huguenot refugees | | | | firstly gold, then silver, copper, bronze and |
| the Toyés. Since 1685 members of the Toye | | | | more latterly on iron and steel. The term is |
| family have been using their skills to create | | | | also used for the application of decorative |
| fine identity products for both the civil and | | | | fusible glass applied to glass objects. |
| military markets. | | | | |
| | | | The earliest known enamelled objects were |
| The company has excelled in the making and | | | | made in Cyprus in around the 13th century BC |
| stamping of medals and insignia in the last | | | | during the Mycenae period. Six gold rings |
| 200 years, and they possess great expertise | | | | discovered in a Mycenae tomb at Kouklia were |
| in the application of vitreous enamel and | | | | decorated with various vitreous coloured |
| enamel painting for insignia, medal and | | | | layers fused on to the gold. |
| jewellery production. Their craftsmen and | | | | |
| women combine the traditional skills of | | | | Now in modern times enamels are used to |
| working in precious and non-precious metals | | | | decorate cufflinks of all shapes and sizes |
| with today's modern technology to produce a | | | | using traditional methods supported by modern |
| vast array of quality products. | | | | technology, often combined with Swarovski |
| | | | Crystals, another favourite amongst jewellery |
| The product range has expanded considerably | | | | designers. |
| over the years and now includes: medals, | | | | |