51-9071.06 · Task explorer
Gem and Diamond Workers: reported tasks and exploration worksheet
Fabricate, finish, or evaluate the quality of gems and diamonds used in jewelry or industrial tools.
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Read the task inventory
This source lists 22 tasks, including 10 marked Core and 12 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.
Task source dates: 08/2026.
22 tasks shown
Core · Task 15093 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
Core · Task 15096 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Identify and document stones' clarity characteristics, using plot diagrams.
Core · Task 15094 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.
Core · Task 15092 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
Core · Task 15098 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
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.
Core · Task 15095 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
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.
Core · Task 15097 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Advise customers and others on the best use of gems to create attractive jewelry items.
Core · Task 15103 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Locate and mark drilling or cutting positions on stones or dies, using diamond chips and power hand tools.
Core · Task 15102 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Secure gems or diamonds in holders, chucks, dops, lapidary sticks, or blocks for cutting, polishing, grinding, drilling, or shaping.
Core · Task 15107 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Select shaping wheels for tasks, and mix and apply abrasives, bort, or polishing compounds.
Supplemental · Task 15106 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Measure sizes of stones' bore holes and cuts to ensure adherence to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
Supplemental · Task 15101 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Sort rough diamonds into categories based on shape, size, color, and quality.
Supplemental · Task 15104 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
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.
Supplemental · Task 15100 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Hold stones, gems, dies, or styluses against rotating plates, wheels, saws, or slitters to cut, shape, slit, grind, or polish them.
Supplemental · Task 15110 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Replace, true, and sharpen blades, drills, and plates.
Supplemental · Task 15111 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Secure stones in metal mountings, using solder.
Supplemental · Task 15099 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Immerse stones in prescribed chemical solutions to determine specific gravities and key properties of gemstones or substitutes.
Supplemental · Task 15113 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Regrind drill points, and advance drill cutting points according to specifications for channel depths and shapes.
Supplemental · Task 15108 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Split gems along pre-marked lines to remove imperfections, using blades and jewelers' hammers.
Supplemental · Task 15105 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Lap girdles on rough diamonds, using diamond girdling lathes.
Supplemental · Task 15112 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Dismantle lapping, boring, cutting, polishing, and shaping equipment and machinery to clean and lubricate it.
Supplemental · Task 15109 · 08/2026 · Incumbent
Regulate the speed of revolutions and reciprocating actions of drilling mechanisms.
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Source and practice material
Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.
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