Job Opportunities:

Growing demand for precious stone jewelry has created the need for more gemologists. Anybody who has a passion for jewelry and stones and has an eye for detail can become a successful gemologist. In recent times the entry of branded jewelry has infused new impetus in the profession. And when it comes to gems and jewelry exports, India accounts for 70% (approx.) exports worldwide. There is also a demand for traditional gold jewelry in the international market. The Indian Gem & Jewelry industry is poised to enter the new millennium with great confidence. Indian gem cutters and craftsmen are held in high regard the world over. The opening up of the market will help India to acquire a sizeable share of the world market.

Job openings have shown an increase with entry of branded jewelry and increased interest in newer and westernized styles. Self-employed jewelry designers can carve a niche for themselves provided they could satisfy market needs and continue to be creative at the same time. Within manufacturing, increasing automation will take some time to adversely affect employment of low-skilled occupations, such as assembler and polisher when replacement benefits and costs outweigh the productivity of manpower. Automation will have a lesser impact on more creative, highly skilled positions, such as mould and model maker.

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

Related occupations could be of gem-cutters, hand engravers, and watchmakers and repairers

It is a fact that Indian gem cutters and craftsmen are respected and held in high regard all over the world. Also, Government's liberalization policy has opened up a whole new world of opportunities in India and abroad. Within India, Jaipur (Rajasthan) is among the world's largest gem-cutting centers. Other emerging centers located in these cities offer good positions to those with training in the latest trends and developments in this field. With the entry of branded gems and jewellery as well as the increased interest in newer designs and westernized styles, job opportunities have increased manifolds. If you can satisfy market needs and continue to create new things, you can carve a miche for yourself as a self-employed entrepreneur.

Though automation has set in this field also, keeping pace with the changing times, it will take time before it adversely affects the employment of lower level skilled workers. But automation will hardly have much impact on the creative and highly skilled positions. Employment is not at all a problem for skilled workers. The salaries vary depending on the type of the job you are doing. Creative jobs generally fetch you a starting salary of Rs.15,000 per month. People involved in this business can also be retailers, wholesalers of gems and jewellery shop, where income levels vary from one extreme to another.

Owing to the availability of cheap labour, it is estimated that nine out of every ten diamonds are cut in India. Further, employment opportunities should be excellent as jewellery sales are increasing. Due to the discovery and pilferage of imitations of diamonds and synthetic gems, the field is still evolving. The International Gemological Institute (IGI), the largest independent gem certification and appraisal institute with gemological laboratories in Antwerp (Belgium), New York (US) and Bangkok (Thailand), has set up shop in Mumbai in recognition of India's immense potential in this field. Many other gemological institutes have been eyeing India in the recent past.

· National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has following branches :-

(a) NIFT Campus, near Gulmohar Park, Hauz Khas, New Delhi.

(b) Tata Mills, Parel, Mumbai (Maharashtra).

(c) Sector III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata (West Bengal).

(d) GIDC Electronic Estate, Gandhinagar (Gujarat).

(e) Chenatha Bhavan, Nampally, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)

(f) Co-optex Building, Egmore, Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

There are numerous institutes all over the world that offer courses in gemology. If you choose to do a course through any other institute, please check if they have an accreditation from the American Gemological Society (AGS).

(Author is Geologist and working as Project Scientist in Jharkhand Space Applications Center (JSAC), Deptt. of IT, Govt. of Jharkhand & Co author is University professor in Department of Geology, Ranchi University, Ranchi, Jharkhand. Email: vivekearth@gmail.com / bsingh6029@gmail.com )