How to become a Jeweler and Precious Stone and Metal Worker

Official title: Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

Also called: Appraiser, Artisan Jeweler, Bench Jeweler, Caster, Gemologist, Goldsmith, Jeweler, Polisher, Silversmith, Stone Setter

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

Main tasks

• Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
• 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.
• Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
• Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.
• Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
• Compute costs of labor and materials to determine production costs of products and articles.
• Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.

How to become one

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation, and they learn their skills on the job. Some workers complete an apprenticeship or trade school program.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Bench Hand (Jewelry-Silver).
• Apprenticeship: Jeweler.
• Apprenticeship: Stone Setter (Jewelry).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $52,540 a year The middle half earn $39,520 to $69,810.
• About 32,800 people work in this job now, and about 31,800 are projected by 2035. (-3.2%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Gem and Diamond Workers
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Jeweler and Precious Stone and Metal Worker?

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation, and they learn their skills on the job. Some workers complete an apprenticeship or trade school program.

How much does a Jeweler and Precious Stone and Metal Worker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $52,540 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $39,520 to $69,810.

Is a Jeweler and Precious Stone and Metal Worker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 32,800 to about 31,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Jeweler and Precious Stone and Metal Worker?

Not always. 36% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Bench Hand (Jewelry-Silver).

Will AI change the work of a Jeweler and Precious Stone and Metal Worker?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.