Jewelers

Overview Nature of Work Knowledge Areas Skills Utilized Job Activities Abilities Job Conditions Work Satisfaction Education/Training

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers use a variety of common and specialized handtools and equipment to design and manufacture new pieces of jewelry; cut, set, and polish gem stones; repair or adjust rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry; and appraise jewelry, precious metals, and gems. Jewelers usually specialize in one or more of these areas and may work for large jewelry manufacturing firms, for small retail jewelry shops, or as owners of their own businesses. Regardless of the type of work done or the work setting, jewelers need a high degree of skill, precision, and attention to detail.

Some jewelers design or make their own jewelry. Following their own designs or those created by designers or customers, they begin by shaping the metal or by carving wax to make a model for casting the metal. The individual parts then are soldered together, and the jeweler may mount a diamond or other gem or may engrave a design into the metal. Other jewelers do finishing work, such as setting stones, polishing, or engraving, or make repairs. Typical repair work includes enlarging or reducing ring sizes, resetting stones, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.

Bench jewelers usually work in jewelry retailers. They perform a wide range of tasks, from simple jewelry cleaning and repair to moldmaking and fabricating pieces from scratch. In larger manufacturing businesses, jewelers usually specialize in a single operation. Mold and model makers create models or tools for the jewelry that is to be produced. Assemblers solder or fuse jewelry and their parts; they also may set stones. Engravers etch designs into the metal with specialized tools, and polishers bring a finished luster to the final product.

Jewelers typically do the handiwork required to produce a piece of jewelry, while gemologists and laboratory graders analyze, describe, and certify the quality and characteristics of gem stones. Gemologists may work in gemological laboratories or as quality control experts for retailers, importers, or manufacturers. After using microscopes, computerized tools, and other grading instruments to examine gem stones or finished pieces of jewelry, they write reports certifying that the items are of a particular quality. Many jewelers also study gemology to become familiar with the physical properties of the gem stones with which they work.

Jewelry appraisers carefully examine jewelry to determine its value, after which they write appraisal documents. They determine the value of a piece by researching the jewelry market, using reference books, auction catalogs, price lists, and the Internet. They may work for jewelry stores, appraisal firms, auction houses, pawnbrokers, or insurance companies. Many gemologists also become appraisers.

In small retail stores or repair shops, jewelers and appraisers may be involved in all aspects of the work. Those who own or manage stores or shops also hire and train employees; order, market, and sell merchandise; and perform managerial duties.

New technology is helping to produce jewelry of higher quality at a reduced cost and in a shorter amount of time. For example, lasers are often used for cutting and improving the quality of stones, for applying intricate engraving or design work, and for inscribing personal messages or identification on jewelry. Jewelers also use lasers to weld metals together in milliseconds with no seams or blemishes, improving the quality and appearance of jewelry.

Some manufacturing firms use computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) to facilitate product design and automate some steps in the moldmaking and modelmaking process. CAD allows jewelers to create a virtual-reality model of a piece of jewelry. Using CAD, jewelers can modify the design, change the stone, or try a different setting and see the changes on a computer screen before cutting a stone or performing other costly steps. Once they are satisfied with the model, CAM produces it in a waxlike or other material. After the mold of the model is made, it is easier for manufacturing firms to produce numerous copies of a given piece of jewelry, which are then distributed to retail establishments across the country. Similar techniques may be used in the retail setting, allowing customers to review their jewelry designs with the jeweler and make modifications before committing themselves to the expense of a customized piece of jewelry.

Work environment. A jeweler's work involves a great deal of concentration and attention to detail. Trying to satisfy customers' and employers' demands for speed and quality while working on precious stones and metal can cause fatigue or stress. However, the use of more ergonomically correct jewelers' benches has eliminated most of the strain and discomfort caused by spending long periods over a workbench.

Lasers require both careful handling to avoid injury and steady hands to direct precision tasks. In larger manufacturing plants and some smaller repair shops, chemicals, sharp or pointed tools, and jewelers' torches pose safety threats and may cause injury if proper care is not taken. Most dangerous chemicals, however, have been replaced with synthetic, less toxic products to meet safety requirements.

In repair shops, jewelers usually work alone with little supervision. In retail stores, they may talk with customers about repairs, perform custom design work, and even do some selling. Because many of their materials are valuable, jewelers must observe strict security procedures, including working behind locked doors that are opened only by a buzzer, working on the other side of barred windows, making use of burglar alarms, and, in larger jewelry establishments, working in the presence of armed guards.

1.	Assemble and secure mold sections used to cast metal articles and pieces.
2.	Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
3.	Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones.
4.	Create new jewelry designs and modify existing designs, using computers as necessary.
5.	Cut, shape, and smooth gemstones, pearls, and metal pieces, using abrasives, grinding stones, and power and hand tools.
6.	Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.
7.	Lay out designs on metal stock, and cut along markings to fabricate pieces used to cast metal molds.
8.	Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
9.	Mark, engrave, or emboss designs on metal pieces such as castings, wire, or jewelry, following specifications.
10.	Melt and roll out metal into sheets or bars, and stamp out jewelry such as gold and silver chains, using presses or dies.
11.	Plate articles such as jewelry pieces and watch dials, using silver, gold, nickel, or other metals.
12.	Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.
13.	Pour molten metal alloys or other materials into molds in order to cast models of jewelry.
14.	Remove mold castings from metal or jewelry workpieces, and place workpieces in water or on trays to cool.
15.	Select and acquire metals and gems for designs.
16.	Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire.
17.	Soften metal to be used in designs by heating it with a gas torch and shape it, using hammers and dies.
18.	Alter existing jewelry mountings in order to reposition jewels or to adjust mountings.
19.	Build sand molds in flasks, following patterns and heat flasks to dry and harden molds, using furnaces or torches.
20.	Burn grooves or crevices in molds in order to correct defects, using soldering guns.
21.	Buy and sell jewelry, or serve as agents between buyers and sellers.
22.	Compute costs of labor and materials in order to determine production costs of products and articles.
23.	Construct preliminary models of wax, metal, clay, or plaster, and form sample castings in molds.
24.	Cut designs in molds or other materials to be used as models in the fabrication of metal and jewelry products.
25.	Design and fabricate molds, models, and machine accessories, and modify hand tools used to cast metal and jewelry pieces.
26.	Determine appraised values of diamonds and other gemstones based on price guides, market fluctuations, and stone grades and rarity.
27.	Examine gemstone surfaces and internal structures to evaluate genuineness, quality, and value, using polariscopes, refractometers, and other optical instruments.
28.	Grade stones based on their color, perfection, and quality of cut.
29.	Immerse gemstones in chemical solutions to determine specific gravity and other key properties necessary for identification and appraisal.
30.	Mark and drill holes in jewelry mountings in order to center stones according to design specifications.
31.	Press models into clay, and build up clay around exposed parts of models to retain plaster.
32.	Record the weights and processing times of finished pieces.
33.	Remove molds from cast articles, clean them, and apply shellac and powder to preserve them for reuse.
34.	Rotate molds in order to distribute molten material and prevent formation of air pockets.
35.	Weigh, mix, and melt metal alloys or materials needed for jewelry models.
36.	Write or modify design specifications such as the metal contents and weights of items.
37.	Chase decorative designs on silver blanks that are to be used as models for steel production dies.
38.	Fabricate, modify, or repair jigs, fixtures, and hand tools such as scrapers, cutters, gougers, and shapers.
39.	Place metal samples in frames, pack raw rubber around samples, and clamp samples, frames, and rubber into vulcanizing machines.
40.	Research and analyze reference materials, and consult with interested parties in order to develop new products or modify existing designs.

[Back to Top]