Jewelers of America

What do you think of when you picture yourself in jewelry sales? Are you greeting customers with a friendly smile in a retail store environment? Chatting with a potential client about purchasing from your brand at a trade show? Or calling, emailing, or texting with a current customer or future client? All these scenarios – and more – can apply to today’s jewelry sales professional.

On the retail side, jewelry sales professionals are the end customers’ main point-of-contact when planning some of the biggest and most important milestones in their lives. On the supply side, your customer may be that retailer who is looking for the right brands and product lines for their consumer-facing business. Working for a wholesaler can mean selling finished jewelry, diamonds, watches, machines and tools, or gems to retail stores or to other dealers and distributors.

Whichever path you take, working in the field of jewelry sales can be like working in a treasure chest. It is an opportunity to indulge your love of the rarest and most beautiful things while sharing in people’s happiest moments: such as engagements, important anniversaries, birthdays and other celebrations. It also requires knowledge of current trends in the luxury marketplace to assist when making recommendations to clients on what products to reorder and stock. This career path may allow for the creative development and execution of sales presentations, event planning, merchandise management and display aesthetics. Professionals in this field who specialize in business-to-business sales regularly travel and attend national trade shows, trunk shows and special events.

Key Skills

• Personable and enthusiastic
• Story Telling
• Able to present with enough product knowledge to aid in an informed purchase
• Good communicators (verbal and non-verbal and adaptable to newer forms of customer interaction, including through text, email and social media channels)
• Ability to listen and comprehend customer interactions
• Creative problem solvers who can ask questions and use their inventory knowledge and their businesses resources to meet customer and/or client needs
• Determined, persistent and persuasive, but not pushy
• Even-tempered
• Trustworthy and ethical
• Versatile and able to work with different people and/or products

Possible Job Titles in this Pathway

• Sales Associate
• Customer Service Representative
• Client Advisor
• Sales Professional
• Salesperson
• Sales Consultant
• Store Associate

Salary Expectations

Data is from Jewelers of America’s Jewelry Industry Salary Study conducted April-June 2023 and includes data from 2022. Compensation varies based on experience, specific job responsibilities, company size and location, among other distinctions. Given these variables within a career pathway, data is presented as such: The 25th Percentile indicates 25% of the data fall below this percentile; the Median (50th Percentile) represents the middle number where 50% of answers are lower and 50% are higher; the 75th Percentile indicates 75% of the data fall below this percentile.

Experience & Training

• For entry-level jewelry sales, some retail or customer service experience is essential.
• Jewelry knowledge is usually expected of individuals interviewing for business-to-business jewelry sales positions and senior sales positions. Candidates who lack specific jewelry experience should be able to demonstrate strong sales experience in a similar position.
• Increasingly, employers look for – or may offer – some gemology training, and a gemology diploma may be required for advancement.
• Courses or seminars in retail, merchandising, or sales can be helpful.
• Employers expect candidates to be comfortable using technology including computers, email, and social media.

Related Education or Certification

• Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
• Diamond Council of America (DCA)

On the Job

Jewelry sales professionals are good at building long-lasting relationships and derive great satisfaction from finding exactly the right jewelry to meet their customers’ needs. Specific activities will vary depending on the type of business. If you work in retail sales in addition to selling you may do things like set up the store’s windows and showcases, use computers to track inventory or manage customer relationships, and assist with special in-store events.

Sales representatives who work on the supply side may work as inside or outside sales representatives. Inside sales reps sell products over the phone and online, while outside sales reps sell products through face-to-face meetings, through trade shows, or buying groups. Professional in this role are often required to drive profitable sales growth and provide customer service with existing retail and wholesale business partners, as well as build relationships and develop new business.

As technology alters the jewelry marketplace, some aspects of the sales job have changed but the basic need to help a customer find and discover what they want remains the same.

Growing in the Industry

Sales experience is the foundation for many careers within the jewelry industry. Salespeople can become sales, office, or store managers and move from there into buying or corporate management. Many choose to continue as salespeople, enjoying the flexibility of a profession that is rewarding and can be practiced virtually anywhere in the country.

Increasingly, there are also opportunities in the digital space, with more and more businesses relying on e-commerce, social media, and other new sales channels.

Salespeople can also specialize based on interest (so someone interested in mechanical things may gravitate toward selling watches, while a fashion-conscious individual may focus on designer jewelry).

To take on more responsibilities – and make more money – technical skills are often required, like working with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs, estimating special-order work, changing watch batteries, or getting certified in gemology or appraisals. Many salespeople take pride in their diplomas and the professional respect they bring. Be sure to take advantage of any product knowledge or sales training offered by your employer.