I make every component of a jewelry piece by hand. Any commission work I get goes to the front of my queue. Someone may contact me or come into my studio and request a piece of jewelry. We'll talk about the design and details of the piece. I'll give a price for it and start working on it. If I don't have any commissions, I'm always building pieces for inventory. I think about the next show that's coming up, decide what inventory I want, and then get to work. I also teach classes in the evenings.
CAREER
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$46,640
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+1.4% (little or no change)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers Do
Design, fabricate, adjust, repair, or appraise jewelry, gold, silver, other precious metals, or gems.
Other Job Titles Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers May Have
Bench Jeweler, Goldsmith, Jeweler, Silversmith
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
Jewelry maker ,
My mom and I will find bits and pieces online on eBay, Etsy or oriental trading or we will find them at different craft stores. We sit down and brainstorm or look at suggestions others have given us and then we start crafting.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- 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.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
No data currently available.
Stay tuned! We’ll update this section as soon as data is available.Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Jewelry maker ,
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Associate Degree in Jewelry Design
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Jewelry and Objects
Certification / License
Graduate Gemologist
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Persistence is key as an artist. You may go to an art show and not sell a single piece but if you're persistent, you'll eventually see progress and success.
Jewelry maker ,
We got most of our skills from reading articles or watching videos on YouTube. My mom learned how to make buttons from another YouTuber and I learned how to make my glass pendants from another crafter.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
Jewelry maker ,
I always go back to this but I highly suggest Youtube. I found a whole bunch of people in the same field and I watched their videos of them talking about what they do and it really helped me decide this is what I wanted to do.
College Students
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
