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Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers score 18 out of 100, which is low exposure to AI. That ranks #656 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 30 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 2 on its own and 6 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 1 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

18/ 100
Low
Rank
#656of 923 jobs
US workers
22,440BLS, May 2025
Median pay
$52,540a year
In real AI use
1 of 30tasks, April–May 2026

Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

  • AI can speed this up on its own: 2 (7%)
  • AI can speed this up with extra software: 6 (20%)
  • Little or no AI speed-up: 22 (73%)
  • Compute costs of labor and materials in order to determine production costs of products and articles.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
  • Write or modify design specifications such as the metal contents and weights of items.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
  • Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Determine appraised values of diamonds and other gemstones based on price guides, market fluctuations, and stone grades and rarity.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Grade stones based on their color, perfection, and quality of cut.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Create new jewelry designs and modify existing designs, using computers as necessary.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Buy and sell jewelry, or serve as agents between buyers and sellers.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Research and analyze reference materials, and consult with interested parties in order to develop new products or modify existing designs.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
  • Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Select and acquire metals and gems for designs.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Pierce and cut open designs in ornamentation, using hand drills and scroll saws.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Construct preliminary models of wax, metal, clay, or plaster, and form sample castings in molds.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Pour molten metal alloys or other materials into molds in order to cast models of jewelry.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Shape and straighten damaged or twisted articles by hand or using pliers.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Soften metal to be used in designs by heating it with a gas torch and shape it, using hammers and dies.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Plate articles such as jewelry pieces and watch dials, using silver, gold, nickel, or other metals.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Record the weights and processing times of finished pieces.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Lay out designs on metal stock, and cut along markings to fabricate pieces used to cast metal molds.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Mark, engrave, or emboss designs on metal pieces such as castings, wire, or jewelry, following specifications.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Cut designs in molds or other materials to be used as models in the fabrication of metal and jewelry products.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Design and fabricate molds, models, and machine accessories, and modify hand tools used to cast metal and jewelry pieces.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Anneal precious metal objects such as coffeepots, tea sets, and trays in gas ovens for prescribed times to soften metal for reworking.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
  • Weigh, mix, and melt metal alloys or materials needed for jewelry models.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
  • Rotate molds to distribute alloys and to prevent formation of air pockets.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
  • Rout out locations where parts are to be joined to items, using routing machines.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

Questions about jewelers and precious stone and metal workers and AI

Will AI replace jewelers and precious stone and metal workers?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers score 18 out of 100 (low exposure), #656 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 8 of the job's 30 tasks, 2 of them on its own, while 22 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which jewelers and precious stone and metal workers tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Compute costs of labor and materials in order to determine production costs of products and articles"; "Write or modify design specifications such as the metal contents and weights of items".

Which jewelers and precious stone and metal workers tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools"; "Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire"; "Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 1 of the 30 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as jewelers and precious stone and metal workers, and what do they earn?

About 22,440 people in the US, with median pay of $52,540 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.

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