Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

What the job really is

Design, fabricate, adjust, repair, or appraise jewelry, gold, silver, other precious metals, or gems.

At a glance

• Sector: Production
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-9071
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
• Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire.
• Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones.
• Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
• Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.
• Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
• Compute costs of labor and materials to determine production costs of products and articles.
• Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.
• Grade stones based on their color, perfection, and quality of cut.
• Select and acquire metals and gems for designs.
• Shape and straighten damaged or twisted articles by hand or using pliers.
• Create new jewelry designs and modify existing designs, using computers as necessary.

Tools and technology

Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Adjustable bench vises, Air compressors, Automatic lathes, Awl sets, Bail pliers, Ball peen hammers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Gem and Diamond Workers
• Etchers and Engravers
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
• Craft Artists
• Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
• Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
• Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.