Retail Management Careers in Retailing

 

JEWELERS
 
 

NATURE OF THE WORK

Jewelers make, repair, and adjust rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry. Using drills, pliers, jeweler's soldering torches, saws, jeweler's lathes, and a variety of other hand tools, they mold and shape metal and set gemstones. Jewelers also may use chemicals and polishing compounds, such as flux for soldering and tripoli and rouge for finishing.

Jewelers usually specialize in one or more areas of the field -- buying, design, gem cutting, repair, sales, or appraisal. In small retail or repair shops, they may be involved in all aspects of the work. Regardless of the type of firm or setting, the work requires a high degree of skill and attention to detail. Those in retail jewelry stores, besides their primary responsibility to sell jewelry, may spend some time repairing or adjusting it. Typical work includes enlarging or reducing rings, resetting stones, and replacing broken clasps and mountings. Some jewelers also design or make jewelry.

Jewelers who own or manage stores or shops hire and train employees; order, market, and sell merchandise; and perform other managerial duties. In manufacturing, jewelers usually specialize in a single operation. Some may make models or tools for the jewelry that is to be produced. Others do finishing work, such as setting stones, polishing, or engraving. A growing number of jewelers use lasers for cutting and improving the quality of stones. In larger manufacturing establishments, jewelers may be required to perform several tasks as new manufacturing processes make their way through the industry.

Technology, in the form of various computerized systems, is beginning to affect the jewelry industry. Some manufacturing firms use CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) to facilitate product design and automate some steps in mold and model making. Use of such systems should increase in the future as they become more affordable for smaller companies. In retail stores, computers are used mainly for inventory control; some jewelers use computers to design and create customized pieces according to their customers' wishes. With the aid of computers, customers visualize different combinations of styles, cuts, shanks, sizes, and stones to create their own pieces.
 
 

WORKING CONDITIONS

Jewelers usually do most of their work seated in comfortable surroundings, and the trade involves few physical hazards. While the work is not physically strenuous, there is a lot of work with detail and intricate designs which may be tiring to some. Caution must be taken because the chemicals, sawing and drilling tools, and torches a jeweler uses can cause serious injury. In addition, doing delicate work on precious stones or metals while trying to satisfy demands for speed and quality from customers and employers can cause stress, and bending over a workbench for long periods can be uncomfortable. In the future, the use of computers may ease some of these conditions since applications like CAD/CAM greatly increase the speed and accuracy of design and manufacturing.

Because many of the materials with which they work are very valuable, those working in retail stores must observe strict security procedures. These may include locked doors that are only opened by a buzzer, barred windows, burglar alarms, and the presence of armed guards.

In repair shops, jewelers generally work alone with little supervision. In retail stores, they may talk with customers about repairs, perform custom design work, and even do some sales work.
 
 

EMPLOYMENT

Retail jewelers hold 20,000 U.S. jobs. Over one-third of them are self-employed; many operate their own store or repair shop, and some specialize in designing and creating custom jewelry. Although jewelry stores and repair shops can be found in every city and many small towns, most job opportunities are in larger metropolitan areas.
 

TRAINING, OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, AND ADVANCEMENT

Jewelers' skills usually are learned in technical schools, through correspondence courses, or informally on the job. Some aspiring jewelers begin working as clerks in department stores and transfer to jobs in jewelry shops after gaining experience. Colleges and art schools also offer programs which can lead to a bachelor's or master's degree of fine arts in jewelry design. Formal training in the basic skills of the trade enhances one's employment and advancement opportunities. Many employers prefer well-rounded jewelers with design, repair, and sales skills.

For those interested in working in a jewelry store or repair shop, technical schools or courses offered by local colleges are the best sources of training. In these programs, which vary in length from 6 months to 2 years, students learn the use and care of jewelers' tools and machines and basic jewelry making and repairing skills, such as design, casting, stone setting, and polishing. Technical school courses also cover topics like blueprint reading, math, and shop theory. Most employers feel graduates need several more years of supervised on-the-job training to refine their repair skills and to learn more about operating a store or shop. In addition, some employers encourage workers to improve skills by enrolling in short technical school courses such as sample making, wax carving, or gemology. Many pay all or part of the cost of this additional training.

The Gemological Institute of America has six-month programs and self-paced correspondence courses lasting several years, leading to a gemologist diploma and a jeweler diploma. These advanced programs cover a wide range of topics including appraisal, evaluating diamonds and colored stones, identifying gems, and designing jewelry.

The precise and delicate nature of jewelry work requires dexterity, good hand-eye coordination, patience, and concentration. Artistic ability and fashion consciousness are major assets, because jewelry must be stylish and attractive. Those who work in jewelry stores have frequent contact with customers and should be neat, personable, and knowledgeable about the merchandise.

For those interested in starting their own business, a substantial financial investment is needed to acquire the necessary inventory. Also, because the jewelry business is highly competitive, jewelers who plan to open their own store should have experience in selling, as well as knowledge of marketing and business management. Courses in these areas often are available from technical schools and community colleges.
 
 

JOB OUTLOOK

Employment of jewelers is expected to decline slightly through the year 2008. Jewelers have a relatively strong attachment to their occupation -- reflecting the large proportion of self-employed workers. Nevertheless, job openings will largely result from the need to replace jewelers who transfer to other occupations, retire, or leave the labor force for other reasons.

Traditionally, job opportunities for jewelers depended largely on jewelry sales and on demand for jewelry repair services. Now, however, nontraditional jewelry marketers such as discount stores, mail-order catalog companies, and television shopping networks have limited the growth of sales made by traditional jewelers, limiting job opportunities because these types of establishments require few if any jewelers.

Opportunities in jewelry stores and repair shops will be best for graduates from jeweler or gemologist training programs. Demand for repair workers will be strong because maintaining and repairing jewelry is an ongoing  process, even during economic slowdowns. In fact, demand for jewelry repair may increase during recessions as people repair or restore existing pieces rather than purchase new ones.

The demand for jewelry is largely affected by the amount of disposable income people have. Therefore, the increasing number of affluent individuals, working women, double-income households, and fashion-conscious men are expected to keep jewelry sales strong.

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