Will AI replace Gem and Diamond Workers?
AI can do 33% of the work Gem and Diamond Workers do at least twice as fast. Real use has not caught up: none of their tasks show up in real AI use yet, but AI could speed up 5 of them. Robots can technically handle 8 physical tasks. 1 still needs a person.
AI is already doing this0 · 0% of time
People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.
- Real AI use has not reached any of this job's tasks yet.
AI could do this next5 · 33% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Examine gem surfaces and internal structures, using polariscopes, refractometers, microscopes, and other optical instruments, to differentiate between stones, to identify rare specimens, or to detect flaws, defects, or peculiarities affecting gem values.11% of time
- Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.8% of time
- Examine diamonds or gems to ascertain the shape, cut, and width of cut stones, or to select the cuts that will result in the biggest, best quality stones.7% of time
- Advise customers and others on the best use of gems to create attractive jewelry items.6% of time
- Immerse stones in prescribed chemical solutions to determine specific gravities and key properties of gemstones or substitutes.1% of time
Robots can technically do this8 · 61% of time
Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.
- Hold stones, gems, dies, or styluses against rotating plates, wheels, saws, or slitters to cut, shape, slit, grind, or polish them.Robots: purpose built settings22% of time
- Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.Robots: purpose built settings10% of time
- Secure gems or diamonds in holders, chucks, dops, lapidary sticks, or blocks for cutting, polishing, grinding, drilling, or shaping.Robots: purpose built settings8% of time
- Identify and document stones' clarity characteristics, using plot diagrams.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
- Sort rough diamonds into categories based on shape, size, color, and quality.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
- Select shaping wheels for tasks, and mix and apply abrasives, bort, or polishing compounds.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
- Measure sizes of stones' bore holes and cuts to ensure adherence to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
- Dismantle lapping, boring, cutting, polishing, and shaping equipment and machinery to clean and lubricate it.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
Still needs a person1 · 6% of time
No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.
- Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.6% of time
Your week is not the average
Describe what you actually do and get a personal report: your own tasks, what AI can already do, what stays yours and a 90 day plan.
What this means
AI can speed up parts of this job, mostly the paperwork and information work around it. The core still depends on hands, presence or relationships. Robots are the other change to watch: they can technically do 89% of the working time.
What to do next
- Get ahead on the 5 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
- Keep an eye on the 8 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
- Build on the 1 task that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
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