Occupations/51-9071.06
Gem and Diamond Workers
Fabricate, finish, or evaluate the quality of gems and diamonds used in jewelry or industrial tools.
Usually a certificate, vocational program, or associate degree — not a bachelor’s.
AI automation risk
82%
Higher automation risk
Human characteristics
43%
Balanced human and task mix
Task orientation
85%
Higher automation risk
A day in this job
- Mostly human
Advise customers and others on the best use of gems to create attractive jewelry items.
- Task
Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
- Task
Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
The tasks we can read here lean on people, judgment, or hands-on work. The AI risk number is still this job’s rank against other occupations.
Core tasks
- 01Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
- 02Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
- 03Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.
- 04Examine 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.
- 05Identify and document stones' clarity characteristics, using plot diagrams.
- 06Advise customers and others on the best use of gems to create attractive jewelry items.
Model drivers (O*NET 1–5)
- Repeating same tasks4.51
- Degree of automation2.57
- Time sitting4.75
- Originality (ability)2.50
- Conflict situations2.92
- Hands-on objects/tools4.64
- Outdoors / weather1.08
- Disease exposure1.00
- Decision freedom2.87
Top abilities
- Near Vision4.12
- Finger Dexterity3.62
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.50
- Visual Color Discrimination3.38
- Problem Sensitivity3.25
- Manual Dexterity3.12
- Flexibility of Closure3.12
- Deductive Reasoning3.12
Essential skills
- Reading Comprehension2.88
- Active Listening3.12
- Writing2.62
- Speaking3.12
- Mathematics2.75
- Science1.38
- Critical Thinking3.00
- Active Learning2.50
- Learning Strategies2.25
- Monitoring3.00
CIP matches
Schools offering related programs
12 of 85 shown
Earnings are College Scorecard medians for that program, 1 and 2 years after completion. A dash means the Department suppressed the cell or the campus is not in the field file.
| Institution | Program | Tuition | Admit | Grad 6-yr | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $14,800 | 11% | 93% | 1 yr $40,896 2 yr $45,082 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Northeastern University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $63,200 | 7% | 91% | 1 yr $40,485 2 yr $32,382 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Private nonprofit | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $68,200 | 4% | 96% | 1 yr $40,281 2 yr $30,409 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Public | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $17,700 | 18% | 93% | 1 yr $35,823 2 yr $32,996 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Winona State University Winona, MN · Public | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $10,500 | 77% | 67% | 1 yr $35,594 2 yr $29,685 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $68,200 | 12% | 92% | 1 yr $35,060 2 yr $37,208 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL · Public | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $4,600 | 100% | 27% | 1 yr $33,993 2 yr $32,382 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Lincoln College of Technology-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN · Private for-profit | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $18,600 | 100% | 64% | 1 yr $33,281 2 yr $28,598 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
San Jose State University San Jose, CA · Public | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $8,200 | 77% | 71% | 1 yr $32,536 2 yr $30,336 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
St Cloud State University St. Cloud, MN · Public | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $9,600 | 95% | 56% | 1 yr $32,213 2 yr $32,925 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN · Public | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $9,700 | 71% | 62% | 1 yr $31,773 2 yr $32,620 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |
Houston Community College Houston, TX · Public | Jewelry Arts 50.0713 | $4,300 | 100% | 24% | 1 yr $31,585 2 yr $34,847 Bachelor's · CIP 50.07 |