More information from O*NET OnLine:

Gem and Diamond Workers - 51-9071.06

O*NET-SOC Description

Fabricate, finish, or evaluate the quality of gems and diamonds used in jewelry or industrial tools.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

Diamond Cutter
Diamond Grader
Diamond Picker
Diamond Polisher
Diamond Sawer

Diamond Setter
Facetor
Gemologist
Lapidarist

SOC Occupation Groups

51-0000	Production Occupations
51-9000	Other Production Occupations
51-9070	Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
51-9071.00	Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
51-9071.06	Gem and Diamond Workers

Related Occupations

51-4033.00	Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
51-4111.00	Tool and Die Makers
51-4194.00	Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
51-9022.00	Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
51-9031.00	Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
51-9032.00	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
51-9071.00	Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
51-9194.00	Etchers and Engravers
51-9195.00	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
51-9195.03	Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing

Tasks

Advise customers and others on the best use of gems to create attractive jewelry items.
Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
Dismantle lapping, boring, cutting, polishing, and shaping equipment and machinery to clean and lubricate it.
Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.
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.
Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
Hold stones, gems, dies, or styluses against rotating plates, wheels, saws, or slitters to cut, shape, slit, grind, or polish them.
Identify and document stones' clarity characteristics, using plot diagrams.
Immerse stones in prescribed chemical solutions to determine specific gravities and key properties of gemstones or substitutes.
Lap girdles on rough diamonds, using diamond girdling lathes.
Locate and mark drilling or cutting positions on stones or dies, using diamond chips and power hand tools.
Measure sizes of stones' bore holes and cuts to ensure adherence to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
Place stones in clamps on polishing machines and polish facets of stones, using felt-covered or canvas-covered polishing wheels and polishing compounds such as tripoli and rouge.
Regrind drill points, and advance drill cutting points according to specifications for channel depths and shapes.
Regulate the speed of revolutions and reciprocating actions of drilling mechanisms.
Replace, true, and sharpen blades, drills, and plates.
Secure gems or diamonds in holders, chucks, dops, lapidary sticks, or blocks for cutting, polishing, grinding, drilling, or shaping.
Secure stones in metal mountings, using solder.
Select shaping wheels for tasks, and mix and apply abrasives, bort, or polishing compounds.
Sort rough diamonds into categories based on shape, size, color, and quality.
Split gems along pre-marked lines to remove imperfections, using blades and jewelers' hammers.

Detailed Work Activities

Advise others on ways to improve processes or products.
Apply solutions to production equipment.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Determine the value of goods or services.
Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
Evaluate quality of materials or products.
Examine physical characteristics of gemstones or precious metals.
Maneuver workpieces in equipment during production.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Operate cutting equipment.
Operate grinding equipment.
Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
Record operational or production data.
Replace worn equipment components.
Select production equipment according to product specifications.
Sharpen cutting or grinding tools.
Solder parts or workpieces.
Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.