Last Updated: December 07, 2023

5 Interesting Facts about Hatton Garden

5 Interesting Facts About Hatton Garden

Hatton Garden is London’s prestigious jewellery hub and home to some of the finest jewellers and jewellery in the UK.

Hatton Garden is London's prestigious jewellery hub, and home to some of the finest pieces of jewellery in the UK. From stunning diamond engagement rings, statement necklaces, wedding rings and earrings, Hatton Garden has become a dream location for high quality, beautiful jewellery. 

Workshops and retail stores make up Hatton Garden, drawing people in from all over the country with its unrivalled reputation for detail and design.

A bustling jewellery hotspot is what Hatton Garden is most famed for, but there's more to the area than you might know:

The First Retail Jewellery Store in Hatton Garden Didn't Open Until 1962

  • Laurence Graff of Wittelsbach-Graff opened the first retail jewellery store in Hatton Garden in 1962, having begun his career as an apprentice in a jeweller's workshop. Before then, its extensive network of tunnels housed many workshops and factories and it was actually most famed for its areas of green - hence the name.

Hatton Garden is the Uk's Jewellery Centre

  • It is now home to nearly 300 local businesses and over 30 shops, making it the largest jewellery retail cluster in the UK. Hatton Garden is synonymous with jewellery, but you will more recently find other industries residing there, especially creative and advertising agencies.  

Inspiration for Oliver Twist

  • Hatton Garden's neighbouring streets formed the inspiration for the criminalised slums depicted in Oliver Twist. The area has certainly scrubbed up a little since Charles Dickens' day, but the original inspiration can still be found (as pointed out by the Dickens pub crawl).

Home to the Machine Gun

  • Hatton Garden was home to the invention of the machine gun. Its creator, Sir Hiram Maxim had a small factory there in 1881 and it's from there that the first was designed and produced, being able to fire 666 rounds per minute.

Many Secrets Left to Be Discovered

There's lots to see and do around London's famous Hatton Garden. Including a visit to Diamond Heaven, where you'll be able to browse our beautiful collections and enjoy our impeccable service, in this classically historic setting. Visit us today. Find out where to buy an engagement ring in London.