Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Worker Career

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


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Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Worker Career

What Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers do:

  • Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
  • Compute costs of labor and materials in order to determine production costs of products and articles.
  • Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones.
  • Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
  • Select and acquire metals and gems for designs.
  • Mark, engrave, or emboss designs on metal pieces such as castings, wire, or jewelry, following specifications.
  • Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.
  • Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire.
  • Soften metal to be used in designs by heating it with a gas torch and shape it, using hammers and dies.
  • Buy and sell jewelry, or serve as agents between buyers and sellers.
  • Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.
  • Shape and straighten damaged or twisted articles by hand or using pliers.
  • Construct preliminary models of wax, metal, clay, or plaster, and form sample castings in molds.
  • Record the weights and processing times of finished pieces.
  • Write or modify design specifications such as the metal contents and weights of items.
  • Create new jewelry designs and modify existing designs, using computers as necessary.
  • Lay out designs on metal stock, and cut along markings to fabricate pieces used to cast metal molds.
  • Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
  • Plate articles such as jewelry pieces and watch dials, using silver, gold, nickel, or other metals.
  • Pierce and cut open designs in ornamentation, using hand drills and scroll saws.
  • Research and analyze reference materials, and consult with interested parties in order to develop new products or modify existing designs.
  • Cut designs in molds or other materials to be used as models in the fabrication of metal and jewelry products.
  • Grade stones based on their color, perfection, and quality of cut.
  • Determine appraised values of diamonds and other gemstones based on price guides, market fluctuations, and stone grades and rarity.
  • Design and fabricate molds, models, and machine accessories, and modify hand tools used to cast metal and jewelry pieces.
  • Pour molten metal alloys or other materials into molds in order to cast models of jewelry.
  • Weigh, mix, and melt metal alloys or materials needed for jewelry models.
  • Rotate molds to distribute alloys and to prevent formation of air pockets.
  • Rout out locations where parts are to be joined to items, using routing machines.
  • Anneal precious metal objects such as coffeepots, tea sets, and trays in gas ovens for prescribed times to soften metal for reworking.

What work activities are most important?

Importance Activities

Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment - Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Holland Code Chart for a Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Worker