Jewelers may specialize in one or more areas of the jewelry field buying, design, gem cutting, repair, sales, or appraisal. In small retail or repair shops, jewelers may be involved in all aspects of the work. Regardless of the type of establishment or work setting, however, jewelers' work requires a high degree of skill and attention to detail. Those working in retail stores and repair shops generally spend much of their time repairing or adjusting jewelry. Typical work includes enlarging or reducing rings, resetting stones, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
Some jewelers also design or make their own jewelry.
Following their own designs or those created by designers or customers, they begin by shaping the metal or by carving wax to make a model for casting the metal. The individual parts are then soldered together, and the jeweler may mount a diamond or other gem or may engrave a design into the metal. In manufacturing, jewelers usually specialize in a single operation. Some jewelers may make models or tools for the jewelry that is to be produced. Others do finishing work, such as setting stones or engraving.