Precious stone setter

Precious stone setters use tools to insert diamonds and other gemstones into jewellery settings according to specifications. The setting of the gemstone depends on its size and its shape.

The following job titles also refer to precious stone setter:

diamond setter
precious stone craftworker
precious stone craftswoman
gem stone setter
gem setter
jewelery stone setter
gemsetter
jewellery stone setter
precious stone craftsman
gemstone setter

A high school diploma is generally required to work as a precious stone setter.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Precious stone setter is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to precious stone setter.

precious stone cutter
jewellery mounter
filigree maker
silversmith
jewellery assembler

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of precious stone setter. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of precious stone setter with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

gemmologist
jewellery and watches shop manager
civil registrar
wholesale merchant in watches and jewellery
computer-aided design operator

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of precious stone setter.

• Gemstones: Types of minerals or petrified materials that are cut and polished for use in jewellery, classified according to type, characteristics, and value.
• Characteristics of precious metals: Variations of precious metals according to density, corrossion resistance, electrical conductivity, light reflectivity and quality.
• Jewellery processes: Materials and processes involved in creating jewellery items like earrings, necklaces, rings, brackets, etc.
• Characteristics of diamonds: Key characteristics of diamonds that affect their value: carat weight, cut, colour and clarity.
• Manufacturing of jewellery: The manufacturing of different type of jewellery such as rings or necklaces out of various metal types such as silver, gold, diamond and other precious stones.

These skills are necessary for the role of precious stone setter.

• Use jewellery equipment: Handle, modify, or repair jewellery-making equipment such as jigs, fixtures, and hand tools such as scrapers, cutters, gougers, and shapers.
• Assemble jewellery parts: Assemble and thread different jewellery parts together such as pearls, locks, wire, and chains by soldering, clamping, welding or lacing the materials.
• Attend to detail regarding jewellery creation: Perform great attention to all steps in the design, creation and finishing of jewellery.
• Ensure conformance to jewel design specifications: Examine finished jewellery products to ensure that they meet quality standards and design specifications. Use magnifying glasses, polariscopes or other optical instruments.
• Examine gems: Closely examine gemstone surfaces using polariscopes or other optical instruments.
• Record jewel weight: Record the weight of finished jewellery pieces.
• Use precision tools: Use electronic, mechanical, electric, or optical precision tools for precision work.
• Mount stones in jewels: Mount gemstones in pieces of jewellery closely following design specifications. Place, set and mount gemstones and metal parts.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of precious stone setter. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Cultured pearls: The process of creating pearls by inserting a piece of tissue in the centre of the oyster to help create pearls under controlled conditions, instead of the accidentally occurring natural pearls.
• Watches and jewellery products: The offered watches and jewellery products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of precious stone setter. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Repair jewellery: Make jewellery repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewellery back together, and replacing broken or worn-out clasps and mountings.
• Exercise patience: Have patience by dealing with unexpected delays or other waiting periods without becoming annoyed or anxious.
• Adjust jewellery: Reshape jewellery mountings.
• Create jewellery: Create pieces of jewellery using precious materials such as silver and gold.
• Heat jewellery metals: Heat, melt and shape metals for jewellery making.
• Detect product defects: Report in case the product arrives with a defect from previous processes. Understand the type of defect and send it to the right person.
• Use specialised equipment: Use specialised equipment such as electron microscope, telemetry, digital imaging analysis, global positioning systems, and computer modelling in studies and analyses of production methodology.
• Select gems for jewellery: Select and purchase gems to use in jewellery pieces and designs.
• Operate microscope: Operate a microscope, an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye to see.
• Record jewel processing time: Record the amount of time it took to process an item of jewellery.
• Select metals for jewellery: Select and purchase precious metals and alloys to use in jewellery pieces
• Cut metal products: Operate cutting and measuring instruments in order to cut/shape pieces of metal into given dimensions.
• Develop jewellery designs: Develop new jewellery designs and products, and modify existing designs.
• Think creatively about jewellery: Generate innovative and creative ideas to design and decorate jewellery.
• Clean jewellery pieces: Clean and polish metal items and pieces of jewellery; handle mechanical jewellery-making tools such as polishing wheels.

7313 – Jewellery and precious-metal workers

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References

1. Precious stone setter – ESCO