Home > Explore Careers > In The Workshop > Gemstone Cutter
Gemstone Cutter
As gemstone cutter or lapidarist, you have particular skill in cutting or faceting stones to make best use of their inherent qualities. To do so, you have excellent knowledge of each stone type, each carving, cutting and faceting technique, so you can create unique and uniform cuts for the customer, client or bespoke order.
You use specialist diamond grinders, sanders, saws, lapping, faceting and polishing machines and hand carving tools to shape stones by:
Naturally, working with tools, you observe health and safety standards to protect yourself and your coworkers.
Length of Training
3+ Years
Salary Expectations
£22,000+
Qualification Requirements
Experience
You may work in a company or be self-employed. Either way, you must have experience in a gemstones properties: colour, hardness, reflection, refraction, crystal structure, different styles of cut and the reasons for use.
Knowledge
You understand each type of raw stone, its hardness, heat sensitivity, shape, colour and density, so you can ensure each gemstone reaches its full potential. This takes technical knowledge and a creative eye.
Skills
Hand–eye coordination is a must, and you need to follow technical specifications and measurements and instructions.
Personal Attributes
Qualification Requirements
A specialist course in gemmology and diamonds so you can understand the makeup of each stone and how to treat it.
Role Also Called
Lapidarist, Gemstone carver, Gemstone cutter, Diamond cutter
