Jeweller / Goldsmith
CAD skills are now expected in commercial settings. Computer-aided design has transformed jewellery production - particularly for engagement rings and commercial manufacture. Practitioners who combine traditional bench skills with CAD proficiency are significantly more employable and versatile than those with bench skills alone.
What is it?
A Jeweller is a skilled craftsperson who designs, makes, repairs, and restores jewellery and precious objects. A Goldsmith is a jeweller who works specifically with gold and other precious metals - silver, platinum, and palladium - at the highest level of craft, often producing bespoke, one-off pieces to commission.
In everyday professional practice the terms overlap significantly. Both describe practitioners who work with precious and semi-precious metals, gemstones, and specialist tools and techniques to produce objects of lasting beauty, value, and meaning. The distinction, where it exists, tends to be one of level and specialism - goldsmiths typically represent the pinnacle of the bench jewellery craft, while jewellers work across a broader range of making, repairing, and retailing contexts.
It is one of the most ancient crafts in human civilisation. Gold and silver working has been practised for thousands of years, and many of the fundamental techniques used in a modern jewellery workshop today - forging, soldering, stone setting, engraving - are essentially the same as those used by craftspeople in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. That continuity is part of what makes the craft so compelling.
What would you actually do?
Depending on your specialism and workplace, you could be:
Designing jewellery - by hand, using CAD software, or a combination of both
Fabricating pieces from sheet metal, wire, and tubing using hand tools and bench skills
Casting metal using lost wax casting or other casting techniques
Forging, forming, and shaping metal using hammers, stakes, and formers
Soldering and joining metal components using hard and soft soldering techniques
Setting stones - bezel setting, claw setting, pavé, channel setting, and other techniques
Polishing and finishing pieces to a high surface standard
Repairing and restoring existing jewellery - resizing rings, replacing clasps, re-tipping claws
Hallmarking and assaying - understanding legal requirements for precious metal marking
Working with clients on bespoke commissions - taking briefs, producing designs, managing fittings
Engraving by hand or machine
Valuing jewellery for insurance, probate, or resale purposes
Running your own workshop and managing client relationships
Hatton Garden in London is the retail and bespoke heartland. London's Hatton Garden is where the country's most prestigious jewellery retailers, bespoke makers, and specialist workshops are concentrated. Breaking into this world takes time and persistence but it is where some of the most skilled and well-paid bench work in the country takes place.
Career Paths
Bench jeweller - the core of the trade, working at the jeweller's bench producing, repairing, and altering jewellery using hand tools and specialist equipment. The foundation skill set from which all other specialisms grow.
Bespoke and commission jeweller - designing and making one-off pieces to individual client briefs. Often working with engagement rings, wedding bands, and significant personal commissions. A deeply rewarding specialism for those who enjoy client relationships and creative design work.
Goldsmith - working at the highest level of the bench craft with precious metals, producing fine jewellery, ceremonial objects, and significant commissioned pieces. Often associated with the London guilds and the highest levels of the trade.
Silversmith - specialising in silver, often producing larger objects - bowls, cups, cutlery, candlesticks, and ceremonial pieces -- alongside jewellery. A related but distinct craft with its own strong tradition.
Stone setter - a specialist role focused entirely on the precise and skilled setting of gemstones into mounts. One of the most technically demanding bench skills and a specialism that commands strong rates.
Engraver - hand or machine engraving of metal surfaces for decoration, personalisation, and heraldic work. A distinct and highly skilled specialism.
CAD jewellery designer - using computer-aided design software such as Rhino or Matrix to produce digital models for casting or 3D printing. An increasingly important technical skill in modern jewellery production.
Retail jeweller - working in a jewellery shop or department store, advising customers, handling repairs, and managing stock. Less bench-focused but requiring strong product knowledge and customer service skills.
Antique and estate jeweller - specialising in the restoration, valuation, and resale of antique and vintage jewellery. Requires deep knowledge of periods, styles, hallmarks, and materials.
Art jeweller - producing jewellery as a form of artistic expression, often working with unconventional materials alongside precious metals. More closely aligned with fine art than commercial jewellery production.
Is it right for you?
You might suit jewellery making and goldsmithing if you:
Are captivated by precious metals, gemstones, and the idea of making beautiful objects by hand
Have exceptional fine motor skill and genuinely enjoy working at a very small, precise scale
Are patient - some operations in jewellery making take hours of sustained concentration
Have a strong visual and aesthetic sensibility
Are comfortable working largely alone at a bench for sustained periods
Are interested in the history, culture, and meaning of jewellery across different traditions
Want a craft where the objects you make carry genuine emotional and material value
Are drawn to the idea of building a reputation as a maker whose work people treasure
It might not suit you if working alone in silence at a very fine scale for long periods feels isolating or frustrating rather than absorbing. Jewellery making demands a particular temperament - methodical, precise, and genuinely satisfied by slow, careful progress towards a beautiful result.
Hallmarking is a legal requirement - not optional knowledge. In the UK, any precious metal item above a certain weight that is sold or described as precious metal must be hallmarked by an Assay Office. Understanding this system, knowing when it applies, and working with an Assay Office is fundamental professional knowledge for any practising jeweller.
Skills you will build
Sawing and piercing - using a jeweller's saw to cut metal sheet and create forms
Filing and finishing - shaping and refining metal surfaces with files, emery, and polish
Soldering - joining metal components with hard and soft solders using a torch
Forging and forming - shaping metal using hammers, stakes, and formers
Stone setting - bezel, claw, pavé, channel, and flush setting techniques
Casting - lost wax casting, centrifugal casting, and understanding investment and burnout processes
Polishing and surface finishing - achieving different surface qualities from mirror polish to matt and textured finishes
CAD and digital design - using software to produce models for casting and manufacture
Gemstone knowledge - understanding the properties, grading, and value of diamonds and coloured stones
Hallmarking and precious metal law - understanding legal requirements for marking and selling precious metal items
Client communication and commission management for bespoke work
Valuation and appraisal skills for those moving into retail or estate jewellery
How do you get in?
College course - a Level 2 or Level 3 Diploma in Jewellery Manufacture or Jewellery Design and Make is the most common entry route. The Birmingham School of Jewellery -- part of Birmingham City University and based in the heart of the UK's historic Jewellery Quarter - is the most well-known and respected provider. Other colleges with strong jewellery programmes include Holts Academy in London, and a number of further and higher education colleges with art and design departments.
Apprenticeship - a Jeweller apprenticeship at Level 3 is available and combines workshop experience with college attendance. Less widely offered than in some other trades but present in the industry, particularly through established jewellery manufacturers and workshop businesses in Birmingham and London.
Degree in Jewellery Design and Make - a BA degree in Jewellery and Silversmithing, offered at Birmingham City University, the Royal College of Art, Edinburgh College of Art, and other institutions, provides both technical making skills and design theory. A strong route for those with creative and design ambitions alongside the craft.
Holts Academy - the training arm of Holts Group in London's Hatton Garden, offering focused bench jewellery courses widely respected by the industry. A well-regarded alternative to full college programmes for those wanting intensive, industry-focused training.
Direct entry and assisting - starting as a workshop assistant or apprentice helper in a jewellery workshop and learning at the bench alongside experienced makers is a well-established route, particularly in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter and London's Hatton Garden, where small workshops and independent makers are densely concentrated.
Short courses and evening classes - many adult education colleges, independent tutors, and community workshops offer introductory silversmithing and jewellery making courses. A good way to discover whether the craft suits you before committing to a full training programme.
Ethical sourcing is increasingly important to clients. Questions about where gold and gemstones come from - their environmental and human rights footprint - are being asked more frequently and more seriously by consumers. Jewellers who can offer ethically sourced, Fairtrade gold and certified gemstones are increasingly differentiated in the market.
Qualifications to know about
Level 2 Diploma in Jewellery Manufacture - the core entry qualification covering bench skills, tool use, and basic making techniques
Level 3 Diploma in Jewellery Design and Make - for those progressing to more complex making, stone setting, casting, and design
City & Guilds qualifications in Jewellery - widely recognised awarding body qualifications covering a range of bench and design skills
HNC / HND in Jewellery Design and Make - higher-level qualifications for those developing design alongside making skills
BA in Jewellery and Silversmithing - degree-level qualification for those pursuing the highest levels of design and making
Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gemmology qualifications - FGA / DGA) - the internationally recognised qualification for gemstone knowledge and valuation; the FGA (Fellow of the Gemmological Association) is the gold standard for anyone working with or valuing gemstones
National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG) qualifications - professional qualifications covering retail jewellery, valuation, and diamond grading; widely respected in the jewellery retail sector
Assay Office hallmarking knowledge - understanding the UK hallmarking system and legal requirements for precious metal items is essential professional knowledge for any practising jeweller
CAD software proficiency (Rhino, Matrix, ZBrush) - increasingly expected by employers and clients in commercial jewellery production
What can you earn?
Trainee / apprentice: Around £14,000 - £18,000 per year
Qualified bench jeweller: Around £22,000 - £30,000 per year
Experienced jeweller / setter: £28,000 - £42,000 per year
Goldsmith / specialist: £38,000 - £55,000+ per year
Self-employed / own workshop: Highly variable - from £25,000 to well over £70,000 depending on specialism, reputation, and client base
Jewellery earnings vary significantly by specialism, location, and whether you are employed or self-employed. Stone setters and experienced goldsmiths working in London's Hatton Garden or for high-end jewellery houses command strong rates.
What could it lead to?
Senior bench jeweller or specialist stone setter in a manufacturing workshop
Bespoke commission jeweller with your own studio and client list
Goldsmith producing ceremonial, ecclesiastical, and significant commissioned objects
Silversmith creating hollowware, ceremonial pieces, and large-scale silver objects
CAD designer producing digital models for jewellery manufacture
Gemmologist and jewellery valuer working for auction houses, insurers, or retailers
Antique and estate jewellery specialist
Jewellery designer working for a brand or fashion house
Art jeweller exhibiting and selling through galleries and craft fairs
Jewellery educator teaching at college or running your own workshops
Your own jewellery brand -- making, selling, and building a public identity as a maker
CAD skills are now expected in commercial settings. Computer-aided design has transformed jewellery production - particularly for engagement rings and commercial manufacture. Practitioners who combine traditional bench skills with CAD proficiency are significantly more employable and versatile than those with bench skills alone.