Learn about skills and jobs in gem and jewellery sector.

This article is based on Hunnarbaaz TV series that was aired on Doordarshan. We wish to acknowledge and credit Directorate General of Training, MSDE and Cinema Vision India for Hunnarbaaz series. We are thankful to National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for permission to re-use the video content in this educational series. Please note that the names of organisations and designations of people shown in the videos and quoted in the article may no longer be the same. This article has 4 pages. About the gem and jewellery industry and GJSCI The gem and jewellery industry is an intriguing combination of science, technology and creativity. The Gem and Jewellery Sector Skill Council (GJSCI) focuses on skill development under all the areas and functions of the industry such as diamond processing, colored gemstone processing, jewellery manufacturing, wholesale, retail and exports.Gems and Jewellery industry currently employs about 4.64 million employees and is slated to employ an additional of 3.59 million by 2022. Introduction to the gem and jewellery industry As per a famous adage ‘beauty lies in the eye of the beholder’ but jewellery is one thing that makes anyone look beautiful. In our country from the Mohenjodaro and Harappa dynasties to the Mughal dynasty there is no mention of beauty without jewellery. https://youtu.be/wz_zqJ1nfdo One of the reasons why India was called the ‘Golden Bird’ was due to its vast collection of gold, silver diamond and pearl jewellery. Out of every 12 diamonds in the world 11 pass through the designers of India so 94% of the world’s diamond passes through the artisans of India. There is a huge demand for the people in the gem and jewellery industry today. 50% of the market in the world’s luxury segment is occupied by the jewellery sector. China, Hong Kong and the Middle East along with the U.S and Canada etc. are new markets for jewels and now the industry has moved beyond six thousand crores. When NSDC decided to represent India in the World skills competition we were awarded the medal of honour in the jewellery designing segment. We have a strong presence in the world due to our diamond and jewellery making and designing capabilities. The main quality of a skilled diamond specialist would be to identify a diamond. The quality is determined based on the shape, colour and its carat value and then how it’s been cut and polished. Earlier our export of diamonds was not even 100 crores but now the diamond and jewellery exports today amount to 35000 crores. Initially this was a labour intensive work but now we are dealing in big diamonds and doing value addition. Jewellers who were dealing with small diamonds are now handling and evaluating big diamonds. If you get trained in this field the opportunities are plenty for growth. Courses and careers in gem and jewellery sector: QP, NOS in this sector There is a lot of skill that goes behind every single piece of finished diamond. Every year the demand for skilled workers is increasing. There are several courses available and the basic qualification to be eligible for the courses is 10 th class pass. Design making, moulding, polishing are some of the areas where you can work. Click here to learn about the Qualification Packs (QPs) and National Occupational Standards (NOS) in this sector. https://youtu.be/DMyOpmMNm54 The IDI (Indian Diamond Institute in partnership with NSDC) offers Foundation courses, Professional courses and Diploma courses. There are two diploma courses offered: Professional diamond grader where diamond grading is taught Professional Diamond manufacturer where assortment and planning is taught After completing courses in the diamond manufacturing sector a student can work in a diamond making company as a laser cutter, as a polisher or a planner. The starting salary is the same for all in the range of eight to ten thousand rupees. Success story of a student Here is a story about a young man who moved up the ladder in his company through his hard work and skills in this industry. Sanjay Bhalla works for Sanghavi Exports International which is a diamond manufacturing company. He started with a stipend of 800 to 1000 rupees but he had high ambitions and worked hard. He learnt a lot during the course of his training and got to work with foreign consultants which were very helpful. He made progress every year. Today 500 people work under him; he takes care of diamond production. Due to his skill he is the highest paid employee in his company. His social status and domestic life improved drastically. https://youtu.be/WL1XTtpuDxQ Skills competition on diamond grading Below is an interesting video clip which shows a competition on grading of diamonds based on cutting and colour grading and polishing. The mentor for this task is Devika who is a faculty in IDI. Following are the details about the competition: The contestants have to check a 1 carat diamond Steps involved are inclusions check, plotting, colour grading The time allotted for completing this task is 30 minutes The candidates need a lot of focus and the ability to pay attention to minute details for this task Animesh Sharma, Deputy Director, IDI evaluates the contestants. As you can see the winner of this competition is Sangeeta due to her sharp knowledge and skills in the areas of checking and colour grading of diamonds. https://youtu.be/XqikjdiOs5Q Inspiration : Industry leader's story Here is an inspirational interview with one of the leading designers in the industry. In this interview you will see that the talented designer gives a lot of useful advice, tips and guidance to entrepreneurs in the gem and jewellery sector. Shaheen Abbas is a jewellery designer, she was an air hostess in the past. She was interested in jewellery from a very young age as her mother was interested in jewellery. She says trends are artificial. Designs should always be classic. They can be modern or traditional. She talks about her new collection called the Mashrabia collection which is inspired by the Arabic mesh in Saudi Arabia. https://youtu.be/a-eRGWmOXfw When asked as a designer what can she offer a skilled worker she says inputs like letting them know which piece will sell is helpful .She has done the graduate course from GIA. Some things that people are not aware of is making a rough diamond into a round one incurs about 50% wastage. A skilled worker can control this. There is a lot of opportunity for workers in this field, It’s a skill and if you are interested you can learn and experience makes you better. India is one of the biggest diamond cutting sectors. She stresses on the importance of quality checks in the diamond industry without which clients cannot be made happy. Here's her inspirational message “don’t make your skill just a hobby. Make your passion your profession. Go learn and work hard and the world is yours.” There are several bodies which certify diamonds. For instance GIA certifies Solitaires. More information can be found regarding the certifications at http://www.gjsci.org/

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