London's Historic Diamond District

London's Historic Diamond District

 

The area that we now call Hatton Garden was once home to the Bishop of Ely’s beautiful gardens and grounds, just outside the official city boundary.

Sir Christopher Hatton’s London was undergoing momentous change during Elizabeth I’s rule. The Medieval city was bursting in size, with trade growing enormously. There was large-scale immigration from the rest of the country to support the burgeoning mercantile capital when John Stow wrote his famous Survey of London.

 

Hatton was built up into a stylish and fashionable area during the middle of the seventeenth century and the gardens were slowly taken over. The celebrated physician, Dr George Bate, who attended Oliver Cromwell in his last illness, died in Hatton Garden in 1668. By 1720, the gardens of Hatton House had been entirely pulled down and built into houses along Hatton Street, Charles Street, Cross Street and Kirby Street.

 

Hatton Garden is famous as London's jewelry quarter and the center of the diamond trade in the United Kingdom.

 

 

 

How to get there:

A short walk from Farringdon and Chancery Lane underground stations, London's renowned district of Hatton Garden is bustling with fine jewellery stores, coffee shops, Leather Lane Market and some of London's most revered food stalls.

 

Hatton Garden Shops - Opening Times

Mon – Sat 9:30am – 18:00pm
Sunday 10:30 – 17:30pm (some may be close)

 

 

TIP 1: Some of the jewellers in Hatton Garden are open to negotiation over price, but it's important to just keep in mind that many establishments will often offer an initial price that is artificially inflated, which they will then significantly discount.

 

TIP 2: Remember the 4Cs: When buying any diamond jewellery, we always recommend that you remember the 4Cs - Cut Colour, Clarity & Carat. Each element of the 4Cs determines how much your diamond will cost. With this in mind, it will help you pick a piece worthy of your special someone

 

 

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