Career profile · 51-9071
Gem and Diamond Workers
Fabricate, finish, or evaluate the quality of gems and diamonds used in jewelry or industrial tools.
What the work can involve
- Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
- Identify and document stones' clarity characteristics, using plot diagrams.
- Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.
- Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
- 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.
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
- Sales and Marketing
- Economics and Accounting
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Getting Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Thinking Creatively
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 74.1%08/2026 · sample 14 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 100.0%08/2026 · sample 15 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 98.5%08/2026 · sample 15 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Continually or almost continually | 77.7%08/2026 · sample 15 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 68.2%08/2026 · sample 15 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 88.0%08/2026 · sample 15 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Accounting software: Business accounting software
- Analytical or scientific software: Spectrophotometer analysis software
- Computer aided design CAD software: GemCad, Jewelry design software
- Data base user interface and query software: Gem identification databases
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Inventory management software: Inventory tracking software
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for gem and diamond workers
This O*NET specialty shares the BLS 51-9071 occupation series. Pay is measured for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers, not separately for this specialty.
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 47 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,890 | $23.50 | 110 |
| Arizona | $42,240 | $20.31 | 440 |
| Arkansas | $35,950 | $17.28 | 270 |
| California | $60,790 | $29.23 | 2,300 |
| Colorado | $57,120 | $27.46 | 220 |
| Connecticut | $69,800 | $33.56 | 140 |
| Florida | $51,470 | $24.74 | 1,070 |
| Georgia | $47,810 | $22.99 | 420 |
| Hawaii | $48,450 | $23.29 | 170 |
| Idaho | $47,090 | $22.64 | 130 |
| Illinois | $54,990 | $26.44 | 610 |
| Indiana | $47,620 | $22.90 | 380 |
| Iowa | $50,280 | $24.17 | 160 |
| Kansas | $57,730 | $27.75 | 110 |
| Kentucky | $47,090 | $22.64 | 320 |
| Louisiana | $51,420 | $24.72 | 280 |
| Maine | $48,080 | $23.11 | 50 |
| Maryland | $45,430 | $21.84 | 80 |
| Massachusetts | $51,060 | $24.55 | 830 |
| Michigan | $56,610 | $27.21 | 460 |
| Minnesota | $54,310 | $26.11 | 220 |
| Mississippi | $55,010 | $26.45 | 40 |
| Missouri | $56,140 | $26.99 | 490 |
| Montana | $37,580 | $18.07 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $46,920 | $22.56 | 120 |
| Nevada | $40,510 | $19.47 | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $43,520 | $20.92 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $59,480 | $28.60 | 780 |
| New Mexico | $46,200 | $22.21 | 230 |
| New York | $61,720 | $29.67 | 4,300 |
| North Carolina | $55,420 | $26.65 | 770 |
| North Dakota | $57,020 | $27.42 | 50 |
| Ohio | $48,190 | $23.17 | 430 |
| Oklahoma | $41,720 | $20.06 | 180 |
| Oregon | $44,510 | $21.40 | 530 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,880 | $26.39 | 760 |
| Rhode Island | $48,800 | $23.46 | 540 |
| South Carolina | $60,380 | $29.03 | 200 |
| South Dakota | $45,110 | $21.69 | 90 |
| Tennessee | $48,240 | $23.19 | 370 |
| Texas | $47,590 | $22.88 | 1,810 |
| Utah | $39,860 | $19.16 | 420 |
| Vermont | $58,570 | $28.16 | 50 |
| Virginia | $61,940 | $29.78 | 240 |
| Washington | $60,380 | $29.03 | 290 |
| West Virginia | $46,370 | $22.29 | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $55,830 | $26.84 | 280 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 96 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers→
- Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters→
- Watch and Clock Repairers→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
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 CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 51-9071.06.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.