AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-9071.00

Will AI replace Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers?

Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers: AI can already handle 1 of 30 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 30 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Research and analyze reference materials, and consult with interested parties to develop new products or modify existing designs. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.5
Select and acquire metals and gems for designs. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.2
Create new jewelry designs and modify existing designs, using computers as necessary. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.9
Soften metal to be used in designs by heating it with a gas torch and shape it, using hammers and dies. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Write or modify design specifications such as the metal contents and weights of items. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.7
Pierce and cut open designs in ornamentation, using hand drills and scroll saws. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Mark, engrave, or emboss designs on metal pieces such as castings, wire, or jewelry, following specifications. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Lay out designs on metal stock, and cut along markings to fabricate pieces used to cast metal molds. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Design and fabricate molds, models, and machine accessories, and modify hand tools used to cast metal and jewelry pieces. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.4
Cut designs in molds or other materials to be used as models in the fabrication of metal and jewelry products. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths. 15 Estimated No tier 4.5
Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire. 15 Estimated No tier 4.5
Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones. 15 Estimated No tier 4.5
Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets. 15 Estimated No tier 4.4
Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments. 15 Estimated No tier 4.4
Compute costs of labor and materials to determine production costs of products and articles. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Grade stones based on their color, perfection, and quality of cut. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Buy and sell jewelry, or serve as agents between buyers and sellers. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Shape and straighten damaged or twisted articles by hand or using pliers. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Determine appraised values of diamonds and other gemstones based on price guides, market fluctuations, and stone grades and rarity. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Plate articles such as jewelry pieces and watch dials, using silver, gold, nickel, or other metals. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Record the weights and processing times of finished pieces. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Construct preliminary models of wax, metal, clay, or plaster, and form sample castings in molds. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Pour molten metal alloys or other materials into molds to cast models of jewelry. 15 Estimated No tier 3.3
Rout out locations where parts are to be joined to items, using routing machines. 15 Estimated No tier 3.3
Weigh, mix, and melt metal alloys or materials needed for jewelry models. 15 Estimated No tier 3.2
Rotate molds to distribute alloys and to prevent formation of air pockets. 15 Estimated No tier 2.6
Anneal precious metal objects such as coffeepots, tea sets, and trays in gas ovens for prescribed times to soften metal for reworking. 10 Estimated No tier 2.8

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 30 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 30 of 30. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 35% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 35% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 65% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
22,440
Median annual wage
$52,540
Middle half of earners
$39,520 to $69,810
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-5.5%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers and AI

Will AI replace Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers?

AI already handles 1 of the 30 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 26 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -5.5% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers?

26 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 30 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 30 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Research and analyze reference materials, and consult with interested parties to develop new products or modify existing designs. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 35% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 65% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers, and what do they earn?

22,440 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $52,540 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -5.5% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/jewelers-and-precious-stone-and-metal-workers

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