Behind every glittering display in Dubai’s jewellery stores is a workshop where metal is melted, shaped, set and polished by skilled hands. Dubai’s jewellery trade relies on craftsmen for manufacturing new pieces, finishing designs from suppliers, setting stones and, every day, repairing and resizing customers’ jewellery. Many of these craftsmen come from India, where generations of goldsmiths, often called karigars, have passed on the skill. If you are a goldsmith, stone setter, polisher or jewellery repair technician thinking about working in Dubai, this guide explains the types of craft jobs available, the skills employers test, how hiring usually works, the documents you need and how to protect yourself from fake offers.
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Where Jewellery Craftsmen Work in Dubai
- Manufacturing workshops and factories: produce gold and diamond jewellery in volume for retail chains and wholesalers. Work is divided into stages such as casting, assembly, setting and polishing.
- In-store or back-office repair units: larger retail groups often run their own service workshops to handle resizing, soldering, clasp replacement, cleaning and re-polishing for customers.
- Small independent workshops: many supply shops in the Gold Souk and other markets, producing custom orders and repairs.
- Design and CAD studios: create digital designs and 3D-printed models that are later cast in metal.
Craft and Technical Roles
Goldsmith / Bench Jeweller
Builds and assembles jewellery from cast parts, wire and sheet: sawing, filing, soldering, shaping and fitting components. Experienced goldsmiths can make complete pieces from a drawing or a customer’s photo.
Stone Setter
Sets diamonds and gemstones using techniques such as prong, bezel, pavé, channel and micro-setting. Precision, eyesight and a steady hand are critical; setters often work under magnification.
Polisher and Finisher
Brings pieces to a mirror or matte finish, cleans settings and prepares items for plating or final quality check.
Casting Technician
Prepares wax or resin models, invests moulds, melts and casts metal, and handles cleaning and recovery of metal scrap under strict controls.
Jewellery Repair Technician
Handles the after-sales work customers bring back: ring resizing, chain soldering, replacing lost stones, fixing clasps and earring backs, and restoring shine. Repair technicians often work closely with store staff and sometimes speak directly with customers.
Laser Welding and Engraving Operator
Uses laser welders for delicate repairs and laser or hand engraving for names, dates and patterns.
CAD Jewellery Designer
Creates 3D models using jewellery design software, prepares files for 3D printing and works with goldsmiths to make designs manufacturable.
Quality Control Inspector
Checks finished pieces for weight, purity marks, stone security, finish and design accuracy before they go to stores.
Skills Employers Test
- Hand skills: sawing, filing, soldering and shaping cleanly without wasting metal.
- Setting skills: secure, even settings that pass a magnified inspection.
- Metal knowledge: how 22K, 21K and 18K gold behave differently, and working with white gold and platinum where relevant.
- Tool handling: torches, micromotors, rolling mills, ultrasonic cleaners, and for some roles laser welders and CAD software.
- Speed with quality: workshops have daily output targets.
- Metal accountability: careful handling and weighing of gold at each stage, since metal loss is closely monitored.
The Trade Test
Most craft jobs are decided by a practical trade test rather than a written exam. You may be asked to:
- resize a ring and re-finish the joint invisibly;
- solder a broken chain link;
- set a few stones in a sample mount;
- polish a rough casting to a finished standard;
- for CAD roles, model a simple ring within a time limit.
Practise these tasks before your test, carry your own preferred small hand tools only if the employer allows, and keep photos or videos of your past work ready on your phone as a portfolio.
Eligibility
- Experience: craft roles are skill-based. Several years of workshop experience is usually expected for goldsmiths and setters; polishers and helpers may be considered with less.
- Education: formal education requirements are often modest. Many skilled karigars learned through apprenticeships after 10th; a certificate from a jewellery-making course is a plus.
- Eyesight and fitness: good near vision (with or without glasses) and steady hands; the UAE medical test is required for the residence visa.
- Language: basic Hindi or English is usually enough in workshops with many Indian staff; supervisors need more English.
Pay and Working Conditions: What to Check
Pay for craftsmen depends on skill level, speciality, employer and output, and some workshops pay incentives based on production, so this guide does not give figures. Confirm in writing:
- basic salary, allowances and any production incentive;
- working hours, shifts, overtime and weekly off;
- accommodation and transport;
- safety equipment such as masks, extraction and eye protection;
- annual leave, air ticket, medical insurance and contract length.
Workshops should have proper ventilation and dust and fume extraction, especially around polishing, casting and chemical work. Ask about safety when you are shown the workplace or during the interview.
How to Apply from India
- Prepare a work portfolio. Clear photos of pieces you made, set or repaired speak louder than a long CV.
- Get experience letters. Ask previous workshop owners for letters describing your speciality and years of work.
- Use official channels. Larger jewellery groups post technical and workshop roles on their careers portals. For other employers, use verified job platforms.
- Verify agents. If you are approached through an Indian recruiting agency, verify its registration through official government channels.
- Attend the trade test. Tests may be held in India or arranged after a video interview.
- Visa and emigration clearance. The employer handles the UAE work permit and residence visa. ECR passport holders need emigration clearance through the official Indian government process. UAE labour law prohibits employers from charging workers recruitment fees.
Documents Checklist
- Passport with sufficient validity
- Experience letters naming your craft speciality
- Portfolio photos or videos of your work
- Any jewellery-making, CAD or setting course certificates
- Education certificates, if any
- Passport-size photographs and police clearance certificate if requested
Life in a Dubai Jewellery Workshop
Workshop days follow a steady rhythm. Gold is issued and weighed at the start of the shift, work moves from bench to bench according to the job sheet, and metal is weighed again when pieces and scrap are returned. Concentration is intense, and many workshops are quiet except for the sound of micromotors and polishing wheels. Before festivals and the winter season, order volumes rise and overtime becomes more common. Craftsmen often live in shared accommodation near industrial areas and travel together to work. Many describe the work as satisfying because of the pride in a finished piece.
Tools and Equipment You Will Meet
Workshops vary in size and technology, but craftsmen commonly work with jewellers’ saws, files, gravers and pliers at a traditional bench, together with gas or micro torches for soldering, flexible-shaft micromotors, rolling mills and draw plates for shaping metal, ultrasonic and steam cleaners, magnifiers and microscopes for setting, and precision scales for weighing gold. Larger units add vacuum casting machines, 3D printers for wax or resin models and laser welders. If you have used only hand tools so far, mention your willingness to learn machines; employers value craftsmen who can adapt.
Looking After Your Health at the Bench
Craft work is precise but physically demanding over the years. Protect your eyes by using proper lighting and magnification, and take short breaks to rest them. Keep your back and neck healthy with a correctly adjusted chair and bench height. Use the masks, extraction and gloves provided around polishing compounds, casting powders and cleaning chemicals, and wear eye protection near torches and lasers. Hearing protection may be needed near noisy machines. Report any discomfort early. A long career in jewellery making depends on good habits formed in the first years.
Career Growth for Craftsmen
Skilled craftsmen can grow from helper to junior goldsmith, senior goldsmith and workshop supervisor. Setters who master micro-setting are in steady demand. Learning CAD and 3D printing workflows opens design and production-planning roles. Some experienced craftsmen eventually return to India and start their own workshops, using the precision and standards they learned in Dubai.
Protect Yourself from Fake Workshop Job Offers
- Never pay money to an individual promising a “goldsmith visa” or “direct workshop job”.
- Insist on a trade test and an interview with a real employer before accepting an offer.
- Never travel on a visit visa for promised work; working without a proper permit can lead to serious trouble.
- Check the company’s details and the agent’s government registration.
- Do not share OTPs or bank details with recruiters.
Report fraud to the police. If you are already in the UAE and need support, contact the Consulate General of India in Dubai.
Frequently Asked Questions
I learned goldsmithing in a family workshop with no certificate. Can I apply?
Yes. Craft roles are judged mainly on the trade test and your portfolio. An experience letter from the workshop owner still helps.
Is CAD knowledge necessary?
Not for bench, setting or polishing roles, but it is essential for design roles and useful for career growth.
Do repair technicians deal with customers?
Sometimes. In store-attached repair units, technicians may explain what can be fixed and how long it will take.
What happens during metal weighing?
Gold issued to you is weighed at the start and checked against finished work and scrap at the end. Accuracy and honesty here are essential.
Are there jobs for polishers with little experience?
Some workshops consider polishers and helpers with basic experience and train them further.
Who pays the visa cost?
UAE rules place recruitment costs on the employer. Treat requests for visa money from you as a red flag.
Can I switch from a workshop job to a retail store later?
Some craftsmen move into store-based repair counters or quality roles where they deal with customers. Good communication skills and basic English make that move easier.
Conclusion
Dubai’s jewellery industry values skilled hands. If you are a goldsmith, setter, polisher, repair technician or CAD designer, prepare a strong portfolio, practise for the trade test, apply through genuine employers and registered agents, and confirm every term of your contract in writing.
Disclaimer
This guide offers general information for skilled workers exploring jewellery craft jobs and is not legal or immigration advice. auto.unclaimedmoney.info is not a recruiter and has no connection with the employers or brands mentioned. Job requirements, working conditions and UAE rules change, so confirm everything with the employer and official authorities.
