Filigree maker
Also known as: filigree jewellery worker, fiigree designer, filigree metalworker, filigree worker, filigree jewelry worker, filagree maker
About this occupation
Filigree makers create a delicate kind of jewellery, usually of gold and silver, called a filigree. They solder together tiny beads, twisted threads or a combination of the two to the surface of an object in the same metal, arranged in an artistic motif.
A specialisation of jeweller.
Essential skills and knowledge
- ensure conformance to jewel design specifications
- use jewellery equipment
- jewellery processes
- perform damascening
- mount stones in jewels
- heat jewellery metals
- smoothen rough jewel parts
- perform metal work
- mark designs on metal pieces
- create jewellery
- select metals for jewellery
- repair jewellery
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers (O*NET 51-9071.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
- Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire.
- Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones.
- Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
- Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.
- Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Artistic, Conventional
Top skills: Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making
US median pay: US$52,540 a year (2025), 22,440 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Technical DrawingO*NET: DesignVery important (4.0)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementVery important (3.7)
- Design and TechnologyO*NET: Design + Engineering and TechnologyVery important (3.6)
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalImportant (3.4)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.2)
- Fine Art or Music or Drama and TheatreO*NET: Fine ArtsImportant (3.1)
- Economics or AccountingO*NET: Economics and AccountingImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Gem and Diamond Workers
- Etchers and Engravers
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Craft Artists
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
- Sewers, Hand
- Tool and Die Makers
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.