What Does A Gem and Diamond Worker Do (including Their Typical Day at Work)

Stan T.Career, Overview

Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Gem And Diamond Workers

Gem And Diamond Workers fabricate, finish, or evaluate the quality of gems and diamonds used in jewelry or industrial tools.

Salary
$48050
Becoming One
Medium
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Low
Job Growth

Personality


What they do

Gem And Diamond Workers fabricate, finish, or evaluate the quality of gems and diamonds used in jewelry or industrial tools.

  • Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
  • Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
  • Examine diamonds or gems to ascertain the shape, cut, and width of cut stones, or to select the cuts that will result in the biggest, best quality stones.
  • Estimate the wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.

Typical day

On a daily basis, Gem and Diamond Workers hold stones, gems, dies, or styluses against rotating plates, wheels, saws, or slitters to cut, shape, slit, grind, or polish them. They estimate the wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.

A typical day for a Gem and Diamond Worker will also include:

  • Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
  • Secure gems or diamonds in holders, chucks, dops, lapidary sticks, or blocks for cutting, polishing, grinding, drilling, or shaping.
  • Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
  • Select shaping wheels for tasks, and mix and apply abrasives, bort, or polishing compounds.
  • Locate and mark drilling or cutting positions on stones or dies, using diamond chips and power hand tools.

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Gem and Diamond Workers also replace, true, and sharpen blades, drills, and plates. They may also secure stones in metal mountings, using solder.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Gem and Diamond Workers regulate the speed of revolutions and reciprocating actions of drilling mechanisms. They might also dismantle lapping, boring, cutting, polishing, and shaping equipment and machinery to clean and lubricate it.

In addition, they Lap girdles on rough diamonds, using diamond girdling lathes.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them split gems along pre-marked lines to remove imperfections, using blades and jewelers’ hammers.

To some Gem and Diamond Workers, it is also their responsibility to examine gem surfaces and internal structures, using polariscopes, refractometers, microscopes, and other optical instruments, to differentiate between stones, to identify rare specimens, or to detect flaws, defects, or peculiarities affecting gem values.

What is the job like

Job satisfaction

Low

Is this job meaningful

Low

53% said they were satisfied with their job and 28% said they found their job meaningful.


Pros

Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.

Suitable for people who want to work in a supportive work environment.

This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.

It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.

Cons

Not suitable for people who like to help and teach others.

Salary is below average.

Demand for this career is declining.

Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week).

How much do they make

Average salary

$48050 per year

Average hourly wage

$23 per hour

Entry-level Gem And Diamond Workers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $26,050 to $32,650 per year or $13 to $16 per hour.

Salary by experience Annual Hourly
Highest (Top 10%) $77,330 $37
Senior (Top 25%) $56,730 $27
Median $41,900 $20
Junior (Bottom 25%) $32,650 $16
No experience (Bottom 10%) $26,050 $13

This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Gem And Diamond Workers based on their average annual salary.

Salary by industry Annual Hourly
Nondepository Credit Intermediation $64880 $31.19
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods $58580 $28.16
Management of Companies and Enterprises $50280 $24.17
Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores $48520 $23.33
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing $43260 $20.80
Employment Services $43210 $20.78
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $42740 $20.55
Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance $41710 $20.05
Nonferrous Metal Production and Processing $39310 $18.90
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses $37960 $18.25

View more salary by industries here.

Where can they work

Where can Gem And Diamond Workers work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Gem And Diamond Workers including the average salary in that industry.

Employers Total Employed Annual Salary Hourly Wages
Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores 7670 $48520 $23.33
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 5150 $43260 $20.80
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 2940 $58580 $28.16
Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance 750 $41710 $20.05
Specialized Design Services 450 $37720 $18.14
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 240 $42740 $20.55
Nondepository Credit Intermediation 230 $64880 $31.19
Employment Services 100 $43210 $20.78
Management of Companies and Enterprises 70 $50280 $24.17
Nonferrous Metal Production and Processing $39310 $18.90

What is the work day like

Working hours

Less than 40 hours
9%

40 hours
18%

More than 40 hours
73%

Working schedule

31%

69%

0%

Email

How often do you use email in this job?

Once a week
12%

Every day
72%

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Once a week
1%

Every day
91%

Group discussions

How often do you have group discussions in this job?

Once a week
13%

Every day
84%

Public speaking

How often does this job require you to do public speaking?

Never
24%

Once a year
68%

Once a month
6%

Once a week
0%

Every day
2%

Level of competition

How much competitive pressure is in this job?

Not competitive at all
69%

Slightly competitive
3%

Moderately competitive
15%

Highly competitive
8%

Extremely competitive
5%

What is the work environment like

Office-style environment

Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition

Never
0%

Once a year or more
2%

Once a month or more
3%

Once a week or more
2%

Every day
93%

Warehouse-style environment

Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse

Never
88%

Once a year or more
10%

Once a month or more
3%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

Outdoors

Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions

Never
92%

Once a year or more
8%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

Outdoors – Under Cover

Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)

Never
94%

Once a year or more
6%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

How to become one

Difficulty to become one

Medium
You will need previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience. Most careers in this difficulty category require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an Associate’s degree, and one or two years of on-the-job training. Similar careers include Travel Agents, Agricultural Technicians, Court Reports, and Medical Assistants.

Required level of education

What level of education do you need to perform the job?

Less than a High School Diploma
8%

High School Diploma or equivalent
58%

Post-Secondary Certificate
15%

Some College Courses
0%

Associate’s Degree or similar
0%

Bachelor’s Degree
19%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
0%

Master’s Degree
0%

Post-Master’s Certificate
0%

First Professional Degree
0%

Doctoral Degree
0%

Post-Doctoral Training
0%

Relevant majors

No majors found

Relevant work experience

How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?

None
6%

1 month
0%

1 to 3 months
3%

3 to 6 months
10%

6 months to 1 year
28%

1 to 2 years
17%

2 to 4 years
33%

4 to 6 years
3%

6 to 8 years
0%

8 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

On The Job Training

How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?

None or short demonstration
3%

1 month
0%

1 to 3 months
21%

3 to 6 months
22%

6 months to 1 year
17%

1 to 2 years
20%

2 to 4 years
15%

4 to 10 years
3%

Over 10 years
0%

Should you become one

Best personality type for this career

The Builder

People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

The Builder
95%

People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


The Thinker
48%

People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.


The Artist
29%

People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.


The Helper
14%

People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.


The Leader
33%

People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.


The Organizer
43%

People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.


You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

They also like working with ideas and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.

Work Values

Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?

Achievement
33%

You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Working Conditions
40%

You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.

Recognition
38%

You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.

Relationships
38%

You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support
62%

You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.

Independence
43%

You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.

FAQ


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