Hatton Garden Jewellers: A Brief History

London’s jewellery quarter has a long and colourful history. From the garden of a royal advisor to a modern creative business hub, Hatton Garden has had its fair share of scandals and incidents. To this day, it continues to provide a vibrant home for a diverse mix of traders and customers, more specifically the renowned selection of Hatton Garden jewellers, and remains the heart of the UK’s diamond trade. Due to the historical significance of the area, it is also part of UK national heritage.

Hatton Garden is located in Holborn in the London borough of Camden. Hatton Garden is conveniently located close to old Clerkenwell, across from Farringdon Road. The district's streets are lined with architectural treasures, from sleek Georgian homes to contemporary constructions. In addition, the neighbourhood has a large number of underground tunnels, offices, vaults and secret courtyards that offer a window into London's past.

Hatton Garden is walkable from the British Museum or St. Paul's Cathedral. It is also accessible by tube lines such as the Central line at the nearby Chancery Lane, and the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Elizabeth line at Farringdon station. For more information on how to get to and what to expect when visiting Hatton Garden, read our in-depth guide.

In this section, we will delve into the rich history of Hatton Garden and explore why it remains a top choice for those seeking the perfect symbol of love.

Hatton Garden takes its name from Sir Christopher Hatton. In 1581, Hatton was given the property by Elizabeth I. That property was Ely Place, originally the residence of the Bishop of Ely when he was in London. As such, the garden of the property became known as ‘Hatton Garden’.

Hatton himself was a politician and close advisor to the Queen, who knighted him and eventually named him Lord Chancellor. With much power and influence in the court, Hatton made himself a wealthy man, and eventually built a huge country house for himself that was as big as Hampton Court Palace. He died in 1591, presumably a contented soul.

Clerkenwell and Hatton Garden’s neighbouring areas had long been a centre for jewellery trade and craftsmen, stretching back into the Middle Ages when specific trades clustered around distinct addresses and neighbourhoods.

By the middle of the eighteenth century, Hatton Garden had become a well-liked residential area. However, it didn't start to change into the commercial centre that it is today until improvements to its road system during the 1800s.

So, as the Hatton family sold off parts of its Ely estate, wealthy merchants, and eventually businesses, moved in. Originally serving the City of London, the jewellers of Hatton Garden became known citywide as trusted experts, offering quality pieces. During 1885 in London, the diamond trade reached its height. Consequently, Hatton Garden quickly became known around the world as London's most respectable jewellery district.

Today, there are over 70 jewellery shops and close to 300 jewellery businesses in the locality, making it the largest jewellery quarter in the country. The area is still a burgeoning district, serving the needs of countless daily visitors and offering an endless array of quality goods to suit every taste. From traditional design to modern innovation, and from small keepsakes to once-in-a-lifetime engagement rings and wedding bands, Hatton Garden jewellers have long been established as the trusted source of expertly crafted precious jewels and jewellery.

The area is not only filled with jewellers. Over the years, media and publishing companies have moved in amongst the workshops and sales rooms. This adds to the lively atmosphere and keeps London institutions such as the Leather Lane Market alive. This street market has been operating for over 100 years, and is now home to bargain stalls and the lunchtime traders who keep our craftsmen fed and watered!

As with most historic parts of London, Hatton Garden has seen the birth of many shocking tales.

Bleeding Heart Yard, where you can find our Greville Street store and Design & Innovation Centre, was the setting for one of the infamous Ingoldsby Legends. The story goes that on a fateful night in 1926, Lady Elizabeth Hatton disappeared after a night out dancing with an unidentified man. The next morning, her dismembered body was found on the cold cobbles of the yard, her heart still beating in her chest. It’s rumoured that her ghost walks the street to this day.

Nowadays, the incidents that haunt Hatton Garden are a little more mercenary. Being home to hoards of valuable materials and jewellery, the area has unsurprisingly been victim to some heinous robbery attempts. In 1993, Graff’s workshop was looted and £7 million worth of gems were made off with – making it the biggest London jewel robbery in modern times when it happened.

In April 2015, a group of criminals drilled into the vault of the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit. After breaking through the concrete wall, they were able to empty deposit boxes of jewels, money and valuables while the rest of London was relaxing over the Easter weekend. However, four of the gang were caught and pleaded guilty, with the final two arrested some months later.

Luckily, these incidents are few and far between. If you wander around the area now you will be more likely to enjoy some fantastic window-shopping before stopping for a relaxed coffee or something to eat. However, even if today Sir Christopher Hatton’s garden is home to a private housing development, and Bleeding Heart Yard hosts a respected French restaurant, be sure to keep in mind the remarkable story of this historic area when you are picking out a diamond that will play a part in your own history.

By the late 2010s, much of the original crafting and artistry was starting to move out of Hatton Garden, as more and more jewellers looked to buy their products en masse from factories abroad. Enter Queensmith, which opened its doors in 2016, and subsequently numerous workshop spaces, to reignite the exquisite jewellery crafting that once dominated the area. As we've grown, so has our talented in-house team of goldsmiths, diamond setters, designers and gemmologists – and we're proud to call ourselves true jewellers in every sense of the word.

Our mission was to modernise fine jewellery buying – delivering high quality, ethically-made bespoke jewellery at a fair price, with you at the very centre of the process.

We make the most of the rich, historical locale of Hatton Garden, and recruit the best in jewellery knowledge and crafting passion while working with the most trusted local suppliers. While many jewellers sought the opportunity to source mass-produced jewellery from overseas, we recognised the importance of knowing your jewellery has been ethically created by people you can trust to do an exceptional job – and made just for you.

Moreover, we have developed Grown by Queensmith, an exclusive range of lab-grown diamond rings that are certified sustainability-rated. You’ll have peace of mind that your diamond has been produced sustainably.

Amongst a sea of historic jewellers, Queensmith is proud to be doing things a bit differently in Hatton Garden – but always with our clients and exquisite crafting at the core of everything we create.