Summary Report for:
51-9071.00 - Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

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

The occupation code you requested, 51-9071.07 (Precious Metal Workers), is no longer in use. In the future, please use 51-9071.00 (Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers) instead.

Sample of reported job titles: Artist, Bench Jeweler, Caster, Earrings Fabricator, Gemologist, Goldsmith, Jeweler, Platinum Smith, Restoration Silversmith, Silversmith

Also see: Gem and Diamond Workers

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

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.
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.
Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
Select and acquire metals and gems for designs.
Compute costs of labor and materials in order to determine production costs of products and articles.
Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.
Pierce and cut open designs in ornamentation, using hand drills and scroll saws.
Construct preliminary models of wax, metal, clay, or plaster, and form sample castings in molds.
Pour molten metal alloys or other materials into molds in order to cast models of jewelry.
Shape and straighten damaged or twisted articles by hand or using pliers.
Soften metal to be used in designs by heating it with a gas torch and shape it, using hammers and dies.
Determine appraised values of diamonds and other gemstones based on price guides, market fluctuations, and stone grades and rarity.
Grade stones based on their color, perfection, and quality of cut.
Plate articles such as jewelry pieces and watch dials, using silver, gold, nickel, or other metals.
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.
Buy and sell jewelry, or serve as agents between buyers and sellers.
Record the weights and processing times of finished pieces.
Lay out designs on metal stock, and cut along markings to fabricate pieces used to cast metal molds.
Mark, engrave, or emboss designs on metal pieces such as castings, wire, or jewelry, following specifications.
Cut designs in molds or other materials to be used as models in the fabrication of metal and jewelry products.
Design and fabricate molds, models, and machine accessories, and modify hand tools used to cast metal and jewelry pieces.
Research and analyze reference materials, and consult with interested parties in order to develop new products or modify existing designs.
Anneal precious metal objects such as coffeepots, tea sets, and trays in gas ovens for prescribed times to soften metal for reworking.
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.

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Technology Skills

Accounting software — Intuit QuickBooks
Computer aided design CAD software — Computer assisted jewelry design CAD software; Metal designing software
Customer relationship management CRM software — Customer information databases
Data base user interface and query software — Retail management software
Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook
Graphics or photo imaging software — Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator ; Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
Internet browser software — Web browser software
Inventory management software — Inventory tracking software
Point of sale POS software — Jewelry store point of sale POS software
Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
Word processing software — Microsoft Word

Hot Technology — a technology requirement frequently included in employer job postings.

Tools Used

Abrasive stones — Grinding stones
Air compressors
Anodizing machine — Pen platers
Anvils — Double horn anvils; Flat horn anvils; Hex anvils
Applicator brushes — Flux brushes
Automatic lathe or chucking machine — Automatic lathes
Awls — Awl sets
Ball peen hammer — Ball peen hammers; Peening hammers
Battery testers
Bead accessories — Beading tools
Belt sander — Belt sanders
Bench refractometers or polarimeters — Bench refractometers
Bench scales — Digital scales
Bench vises — Adjustable bench vises; Mini bench vises
Binocular light compound microscopes — Gemological microscopes
Blow torch — Blow torches; Casting torches; Gas torches
Burnisher — Burnishers; Burnishing tools
Calipers — Digital calipers
Crimping pliers — Pocket crimpers
Cross and straight pein hammer — Chasing hammers
Curved nose pliers — Bent chain nose pliers
Dapping punches — Chasing tools; Dapping cutters; Dapping tools
Diagonal cut pliers — Diagonal cutters; Flush cutters
Dial indicator or dial gauge — Dial gauges
Drill press or radial drill — Drill presses
Drop hammer forging machine — Foot-powered hammers
End cut pliers — Oblique end cutters; Side cutters; Sidecutters
Engravers — Engraving tools; Pneumatic gravers
Engraving machines — Engraving blocks
Flat nose pliers
Fume hoods or cupboards — Fume hoods
Hammers — Dead-blow hammers; Riveting hammers; Silversmiths' hammers; Texture hammers (see all 7 examples)
Hand clamps — Ring clamps
Hand or push drill — Hand drills
Hand reamer — Bead reamers
Jewel appraising tester — Diamond testers; Gem gauges; Stone gauges
Jeweler scissors — Jewelers shears; Jewelry scissors
Jewellers pliers — Bail pliers; Jewelers' chain-nose pliers; Wire looping pliers; Wire twisting pliers (see all 25 examples)
Jewelry mandrels
Knurling tool — Milgrain machines; Milgrain tools
Laboratory hotplates — Electric hot plates
Laser welding machine — Laser welders
Light boxes
Loupes — Jeweler's loupes; Jewelers' loupes
Magnifiers — Binocular magnifiers; Handheld magnifiers
Mallets — Plastic mallets
Mechanical or ultrasonic metal cleaner — Ultrasonic cleaners
Metal cutters — Micro bevel cutters; Ring cutters
Metal testing instruments — Gold testers
Mini pliers — Micro pliers
Paint brushes — Sable brushes
Polariscopes
Power buffers — Polishing wheels
Power drills — Cordless power drills
Power grinders — Flex shaft machines
Power routers — Routing machines
Power saws — Jeweler's saws; Mini band saws
Power scissors — Disc cutters
Precision file — Hand files; Precision files
Precision screwdriver — Jewelers screwdrivers; Precision screwdriver sets
Pressure or steam cleaners — Steam cleaners
Punches or nail sets or drifts — Tracing punches
Punching pliers — Hole punch pliers; Hole punching pliers
Respirators
Ring sizers — Ring rollers; Ring sizing sets; Ring stretcher/reducers
Round nose pliers
Rulers — Precision rulers
Safety glasses — Eye protection
Scratch brushes
Shears — Mini shears
Soldering iron — Soldering guns
Stamping die — Metal stamping dies
Stamping dies or punches — Stamping dies
Straight edges — Straightedges
Thickness measuring devices — Digital gauges
Tongs — Crucible tongs; Draw tongs; Flask tongs
Tumblers or polishers — Bench top polishers; Polishing units; Rotary tumblers; Vibratory tumblers (see all 5 examples)
Tweezers — Beading tweezers; Mini tweezers; Soldering tweezers; Utility tweezers (see all 11 examples)
Utility knives — Bench knives
Vacuum pumps
Watch or clock repair kits — Case presses; Watch hand removers
Wire brushes — Bristle brushes
Wire cutters — Wire cutting tools
Wire gauge — Bur gauges; Wire gauges
Wire mills — Jump ring makers; Rolling mills

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Design — Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Skills

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities

Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

Work Activities

Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
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 Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
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.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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.

Detailed Work Activities

Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
Smooth metal surfaces or edges.
Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
Design jewelry or decorative objects.
Clean workpieces or finished products.
Repair precision devices or workpieces.
Solder parts or workpieces.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Select production input materials.
Estimate costs of products, services, or materials.
Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Build production molds.
Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
Adjust position of molds during processing.
Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
Melt metal, plastic, or other materials to prepare for production.
Mix ingredients to create specific finishes.
Place materials into molds.
Reshape small metal components for precision assembly.
Shape metal workpieces with hammers or other small hand tools.
Determine the value of goods or services.
Evaluate quality of materials or products.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Purchase products or services.
Record operational or production data.
Sell products or services.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products.
Confer with customers or designers to determine order specifications.

Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities

Work Context

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Time Pressure — How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
Exposed to Contaminants — How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Spend Time Sitting — How much does this job require sitting?
Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings — How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions — How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Physical Proximity — To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Level of Competition — To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
Consequence of Error — How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
Coordinate or Lead Others — How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment — How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education	Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related Experience	Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job Training	Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
SVP Range	(6.0 to < 7.0)

Credentials

Interests

Interest code: RAC Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Artistic — Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Work Styles

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Work Values

Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Related Occupations

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51-9071.06	Gem and Diamond Workers
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Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2019)	$19.65 hourly, $40,870 annual
State wages
Local wages	ZIP Code:

Employment (2019)	35,100 employees
Projected growth (2019-2029)	Decline (-1% or lower)
Projected job openings (2019-2029)	3,600
State trends

Top industries (2019)	Retail Trade Manufacturing

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 wage data and 2019-2029 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2019-2029). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

Sources of Additional Information

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