Inspection, Testing and Metrology Services Workers

How to become a Gemmologist and Precious Metals Tester

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 贵金属首饰与宝玉石检测员

Also called: Precious Metal Jewellery Inspector, Diamond Grader, Jade Inspector, Gemstone Inspector, Organic Gem Inspector

Tests, identifies, grades and values precious metal jewellery and gems such as diamonds, jadeite and pearls, and checks jewellery made or set with them.

Main tasks

Testing the element content and physical properties of precious metal jewellery, diamonds and gems
Judging whether precious metal jewellery, diamonds, jadeite and pearls are genuine, grading them and valuing them
Checking the cutting and polishing quality of part finished stones and the look and quality of finished jewellery
Recording test data and calculating, analysing and judging it
Checking and maintaining instruments and equipment

Ways in

Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Jewellery Technology and Management (480106). Vocational major 480106 Jewellery Technology and Management (珠宝首饰技术与管理), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Precious Metal Jewellery Finishing; Gemstone and Jade Identification.

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥67,400 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥49,200 to CN¥96,500. One in ten earn less than CN¥38,000 and one in ten more than CN¥140,900.
This is the figure for the mid group Technical Support Services Workers, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥88,723 a year (2025), middle half CN¥69,201 to CN¥119,180.
This is the figure for the minor group Inspection, Testing and Metrology Services Workers, not for this job alone.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Technical Support Services Workers holds 0.75% of everyone employed in China; 36.7% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
64.4% are under 35, 33.1% are 35 to 54 and 2.5% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 30 to 34.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Gemmologist and Precious Metals Tester?

Ways in include: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Jewellery Technology and Management (480106).

How much does a Gemmologist and Precious Metals Tester earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥67,400 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Technical Support Services Workers. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥88,723 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Gemmologist and Precious Metals Tester?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026