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It's Your Life.
Love What You Do.

Create Something

Get Your Art On

It can pay to be an artist.

Make Something

Play With Fire

Create objects people treasure.

Create Something

Get Your Art On

It can pay to be an artist.

Make Something

Play With Fire

Create objects people treasure.

Carve Your Own Path

Do you love designing and making things? Do you want to work with your hands? Being a jeweler may be the career for you.

  • Do You Have What it Takes?

    If you have an eye for detail, an ability to visualize in 3D, steady hands, and a curious mind, you have what it takes to become a jeweler.

  • Jewelers Are In Demand

    Skilled jewelers are needed to meet consumer demand for craftsmanship and customization.

  • An Exciting Way to Make a Living

    Tools, machinery, fire, old world techniques combined with high tech, art, science, and craftsmanship

  • Never Be Bored at Work Again

    Create new designs, master complicated repairs, solve problems. Be creative and technical every single day.

  • Your Own Tricked-Out Work Bench

    Hand tools and computer-aided design. Microscopes and machines. Most jewelers are tool-junkies, and for good reason ... the tools are so fun.

  • So - how's the money?

    Entry level jewelers earn betwen $20 - $26/hour on average, but once you have experience, you can expect to earn between $28 - $40/hour. Master Jewelers earn between $38 - $55/hour.

    Most jewelers do not stay at one level for long. Early roles focus on learning core skills and building confidence at the bench or workstation. As experience grows, many jewelers earn more by taking on more complex work, specializing in a craft or material, moving into design or technical roles, or stepping into leadership and teaching. Jewelry careers tend to grow through skill and judgment, not just time served.

Be the person who turns gold and gemstones into objects someone will cherish.

What Will You Do With Your Jewelry Career?

A career in jewelry can take many different paths. You might work as a bench jeweler in a retail store, taking in repairs, solving problems, and creating one-of-a-kind custom pieces for customers. You could become a studio jeweler, designing and producing your own work and selling it through galleries, retailers, or directly to the people who wear it. Some jewelers work in manufacturing, starting at the bench and growing into roles in production leadership, quality control, or operations management. Others specialize in gemstones and gemmology, working in laboratories, cutting stones, or becoming experts in grading and identification. There are career paths in appraisals, historic and fine art restoration, and museum work. You might focus on digital design as a CAD specialist, working independently or as part of a large design house. The jewelry industry offers whole ecosystem of creative, technical, and business careers, all focused on making beautiful, meaningful things.

Student Voices

A Meaningful Career
Create Things with Intrinsic Value

Interested? Here's Your Next Step

There are hundreds of jewelry programs across the country, from university and trade school offerings to private academies and individual teachers. Explore our directory of jewelry training programs to find programs that suit your location, budget, and learning  style.

The link below will redirect you to the Jewelers of America (JA) Jewelry Schools directory. Jewelers of America is the national trade association for the fine jewelry industry, supporting education, standards, and professional development. 

Find a Training Program