What You Need to Know About Gem and Diamond Worker
Job Description & Duties Fabricate, finish, or evaluate the quality of gems and diamonds used in jewelry or industrial tools.
Life As a Gem & Diamond Worker: What Do They Do?
- Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
- Identify and document stones' clarity characteristics, using plot diagrams.
- Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
- Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.
- Hold stones, gems, dies, or styluses against rotating plates, wheels, saws, or slitters to cut, shape, slit, grind, or polish them.
- Lap girdles on rough diamonds, using diamond girdling lathes.
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Skills Needed to be a Gem & Diamond Worker
Below is a list of the skills most Gem and Diamond Workers say are important on the job.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Types of Gem & Diamond Worker Jobs
- Lathe Operator
- Diamond Cleaner
- Brilliandeer Lopper
- Pearl Cutter
- Diamond Sawer
Gem & Diamond Worker Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 37,700 jobs in the United States for Gem and Diamond Worker. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Gem and Diamond Worker. There will be an estimated 3,500 positions for Gem & Diamond Worker per year.
The states with the most job growth for Gem & Diamond Worker are Idaho, South Carolina, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Tennessee, New Mexico, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Gem and Diamond Workers Make A Lot Of Money?
Gem and Diamond Workers make between $23,530 and $67,250 a year.
Gem and Diamond Workers who work in Kentucky, New Jersey, or Wisconsin, make the highest salaries.
How much do Gem and Diamond Workers make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $41,320 |
Alaska | $33,520 |
Arizona | $45,860 |
Arkansas | $43,880 |
California | $40,940 |
Colorado | $42,490 |
Connecticut | $54,280 |
Delaware | $46,690 |
Florida | $41,300 |
Georgia | $36,350 |
Hawaii | $37,560 |
Idaho | $42,040 |
Illinois | $39,030 |
Indiana | $41,220 |
Iowa | $44,390 |
Kansas | $44,200 |
Kentucky | $55,840 |
Louisiana | $36,820 |
Maine | $43,950 |
Maryland | $51,920 |
Massachusetts | $44,480 |
Michigan | $40,580 |
Minnesota | $39,590 |
Mississippi | $27,820 |
Missouri | $38,330 |
Montana | $34,950 |
Nebraska | $30,680 |
Nevada | $46,200 |
New Hampshire | $48,280 |
New Jersey | $54,870 |
New Mexico | $30,480 |
New York | $50,380 |
North Carolina | $40,420 |
North Dakota | $52,090 |
Ohio | $38,180 |
Oklahoma | $41,100 |
Oregon | $52,580 |
Pennsylvania | $42,670 |
Rhode Island | $43,710 |
South Carolina | $40,270 |
South Dakota | $37,330 |
Tennessee | $46,740 |
Texas | $41,450 |
Utah | $36,900 |
Vermont | $40,010 |
Virginia | $48,330 |
Washington | $39,540 |
West Virginia | $39,120 |
Wisconsin | $52,050 |
What Tools & Technology do Gem and Diamond Workers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Gem and Diamond Workers may use on a daily basis:
- Web browser software
- Inventory tracking software
Becoming a Gem & Diamond Worker
Individuals working as a Gem and Diamond Worker have obtained the following education levels:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Gem & Diamond Worker?
Who Employs Gem and Diamond Workers?
The table below shows the approximate number of Gem and Diamond Workers employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Gem and Diamond Worker might also be interested in the following careers:
Are you already one of the many Gem and Diamond Worker in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
- Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
- Sewers, Hand
References:
Image Credit: Jorge Royan via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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