Jewellery Designer
What the work is
Conceptualises and designs prototypes and details for the manufacture of jewellery and objects for personal adornment, such as pendants, rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, hair decorations and other decorative objects, using various precious and semi-precious metals, resins and gemstones.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Designs and sketches jewellery and objects for personal adornment
- Develops detailed technical drawings and specifications for the manufacture of jewellery and decorative objects, including sculptures, lamp shades and vases
- Uses techniques such as repousse, engraving, hand fabrication and casting, to model designs for mass or batch production, or one-off commissions
- Selects and sources materials such as metals, precious stones and plastics, for the production of jewellery pieces
- Collaborates with manufacturers and craftspeople to ensure the accurate production of designs
- Tests and evaluates the functionality and durability of each piece
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small design studio developing clothing, accessories and fabrics for an Australian label. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A sketch becomes a sample on a fitting model and the shape is exactly what you pictured
- You see someone out in the street wearing something you designed
- A fabric you chose behaves beautifully and the whole range comes together
Hard days
- A sample arrives from the maker looking nothing like your drawing
- A deadline for the season's range is fixed while the fabrics are still late
- A design you love gets pulled because it costs too much to make
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 242233, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.