| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Retail and Showroom |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Karigar Head |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 4 to 10 years of bench experience in detailed and bridal jewellery work |
Jewellery Karigar job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Jewellery Karigar
Department: Retail and Showroom
Reports to: Karigar Head
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Jewellery Karigar is the skilled artisan who handcrafts jewellery at the bench. The person shapes and assembles pieces, sets stones, files and finishes intricate work, and brings a designer's drawing to life by hand. In an Indian workshop the karigar handles bridal and detailed traditional work that machines cannot match. A good karigar delivers clean, accurate pieces with fine finish and low wastage, and is trusted with delicate stones and high-value metal through the wedding and festive rush.
Key responsibilities
- Handcraft jewellery pieces from designs, samples or drawings using traditional bench techniques.
- Set diamonds and coloured stones securely and evenly using prong, bezel and pave methods.
- File, shape and assemble components so parts fit cleanly and the piece is balanced.
- Finish intricate detailing, engraving and texture work by hand to the required standard.
- Work with the designer or head on first samples and correct the piece until it matches the drawing.
- Handle delicate and high-value stones with care to avoid chipping or loss during setting.
- Keep metal and stone weight accounted for on every job and stay within the wastage limit.
- Repair and rework detailed pieces and restore old ornaments to their original look.
- Check each finished piece for setting security, symmetry and finish before handover.
- Support bulk bridal and festive orders while holding the quality of handwork.
Requirements
- Traditional apprenticeship under a master karigar, or trade training
- Proven portfolio of handwork
- Proven stone-setting skill on studded jewellery
- 4 to 10 years of bench experience in detailed and bridal jewellery work
KRAs and KPIs for a Jewellery Karigar
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Craftsmanship | Finished pieces pass quality check for setting and finish on first inspection at the target rate |
| Stone security | No stones loose or lost after setting on any piece each month |
| Output | Agreed number of detailed pieces completed each week to standard |
| Wastage control | Metal and stone loss kept within the allowed limit per job |
| Sample accuracy | Pieces match the approved drawing without a second correction at the target rate |
| On-time delivery | Bridal and festive orders completed by the committed date |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Setting and filing tools, Micromotor, Bench and vice, Magnifying loupe, Soldering torch.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Karigar, Karigar Head, Workshop In-charge
Interview questions for a Jewellery Karigar
- How do you set a row of small diamonds evenly in a pave design?
- Walk me through crafting a bridal piece from the designer's drawing to finish.
- How do you avoid chipping a delicate stone while setting it?
- A finished piece does not match the drawing. How do you correct it?
- How do you keep fine finish quality when a rush of wedding orders comes in?
- How do you account for metal and stone weight on a detailed job?
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a jewellery karigar do?
A jewellery karigar is the skilled artisan who handcrafts jewellery at the bench. They shape and assemble pieces, set stones, file and finish intricate detailing, and turn a designer's drawing into a finished ornament. They handle bridal and traditional handwork that machines cannot match, delivering clean pieces with fine finish and low wastage.
What is the difference between a karigar and a jewellery designer?
A jewellery designer creates the design and specifications, often on CAD. A karigar physically makes the piece by hand at the bench: fabrication, stone setting and finishing. The designer decides how the piece should look, while the karigar has the craft skill to build it accurately from the drawing.
How do you become a jewellery karigar?
Most karigars in India train through a long apprenticeship under a master artisan, learning fabrication, stone setting and finishing over years. Some also take a trade course. The skill is deeply hands-on, so a strong portfolio of handwork and trust with delicate stones and high-value metal matter more than formal degrees.