Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Jade Designer

🎯 Role Definition

The Jade Designer is a specialized jewellery product designer who creates concept-to-production designs focused on jade (nephrite, jadeite) and complementary gemstones. This role blends traditional bench skills (wax carving, hand finishing) with modern CAD/CAM, prototyping, and manufacturing workflow oversight. The Jade Designer partners with product managers, gemologists, sourcing teams and factories to ensure designs meet aesthetic, technical and commercial requirements for luxury and commercial collections. Responsibilities include ideation, trend research, technical pack creation, prototype review, quality control and ongoing product improvement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Jewelry Designer (CAD or bench)
Bench Jeweler / Wax Carver
Gemologist or CAD Technician (Rhino/Matrix/3Design)

Advancement To:

Senior Jade Designer / Lead Jewelry Designer
Product Development Manager (Jewellery)
Creative Director, Luxury Jewellery or Head of Design

Lateral Moves:

Technical Designer (CAD/CAM specialist)
Merchandising or Product Manager (Jewelry Collections)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the end-to-end design and development of jade jewelry collections, from concept sketches through final production sign-off, ensuring commercial viability and brand alignment.
Create detailed CAD models (Rhino, Matrix, 3Design) and engineering-ready files for complex jade settings, inlay work, and bezel/wire constructions optimized for production.
Perform gemological assessment and grading input on jade (color, translucency, texture) to guide design decisions and set quality thresholds with sourcing teams.
Produce comprehensive technical packs (drawings, dimensions, tolerances, stone specifications, assembly instructions) for internal teams and external manufacturing partners.
Develop and oversee physical prototypes, wax carvings, and 3D-printed masters; coordinate bench finishing and surface treatments to evaluate fit, finish, and ergonomics.
Translate creative concepts into scalable SKUs by balancing aesthetics, manufacturing feasibility, and cost targets; perform cost modeling for stone yield and metal consumption.
Own design reviews with factories and suppliers in target production regions (e.g., China, Thailand, Italy), ensuring tooling, die, and mold specifications meet quality and lead-time requirements.
Lead quality assurance checks and first-article inspections for new jade pieces, document deviations, and drive corrective action with production teams and vendors.
Manage bespoke and VIP commission projects: client consultations, custom design proposals, stone selection support, timelines, and on-site or remote approvals.
Conduct continuous market and trend research (seasonal color, cultural motifs, heritage jade aesthetics) to inform briefs and seasonal concept decks.
Collaborate with merchandising and marketing to create product storytelling, imagery direction, and merchandising plans that highlight jade provenance and craftsmanship.
Provide technical guidance on sustainable and ethical jade sourcing practices; help vet supplier certifications and traceability documentation.
Mentor junior designers and bench staff on jade-specific techniques, CAD best practices, stone setting subtleties, and quality expectations.
Optimize product development timelines and release schedules by coordinating sample cycles, tooling lead times, and vendor capacity constraints.
Maintain and update a library of CAD templates, gemstone setting standards, and material specifications specific to jade (e.g., clamping methods to protect translucency).
Define and implement packaging and presentation requirements for jade jewelry, including protective measures for fragile translucency and polishing surfaces.
Prepare manufacturing-ready bills of materials (BOM) and final cost sheets; work with procurement to secure optimal pricing for stones and metals without compromising quality.
Ensure all design documentation complies with regulatory requirements, hallmarking and regional import/export standards for gemstones and precious metals.
Partner with production engineering to troubleshoot manufacturing challenges (chipping, crazing, crack propagation in jade) and refine production processes.
Manage digital asset delivery (high-res renders, CAD files, technical images) to e-commerce, CRM and ERP systems ensuring accurate product data downstream.
Coordinate with photography and creative teams to develop image assets and e-commerce-ready visuals that accurately represent color and translucency of jade pieces.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives by documenting lessons learned from production runs and customer feedback to reduce rework and returns.
Facilitate cross-functional product workshops (design, sourcing, sales) to align on priorities, pre-season assortments, and capacity planning.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist retail teams with in-store product training and technical talking points for sales associates on jade quality and care.
Support after-sales and warranty cases by analyzing root causes for defects related to design or materials.
Coordinate with legal on IP matters, design registrations and anti-counterfeiting measures for signature jade designs.
Assist in supplier audits and sample evaluations during vendor onboarding and periodic quality assessments.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced CAD modeling for jewelry: Rhino, MatrixGold, 3Design or equivalent (creating production-ready files and renderings).
Proficiency with 3D printing workflows and SLA/SLS prototyping for wax and master production.
Strong bench skills including wax carving, hand-finishing, soldering, and basic stone setting for jade-specific settings.
Gemology knowledge: identification, grading, and handling of jade (jadeite, nephrite), including color grading, translucency assessment and fracture recognition.
Experience creating technical drawings, engineering specs, BOMs and tolerance documentation for jewelry manufacturing.
Familiarity with CAM/CNC tooling, casting processes, lost-wax workflows and finishing operations for precious metals.
Ability to prepare and optimize files for electroforming, inlay, and precision bezel seating used in jade mountings.
Proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and KeyShot or equivalent rendering tools for concept presentation and marketing assets.
Experience with product lifecycle and PLM/ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, Oracle, Centric) to manage SKUs and production data.
Strong understanding of jewelry quality control standards, hallmarking, and regional compliance for precious metals and gemstones.
Costing and yield analysis for stone cutting, metal usage and production run planning to meet margin targets.
Vendor management experience: RFPs, sample negotiation, technical problem resolution and capacity planning for jewelry manufacturers.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail with a strong sense of proportion, finish and tactile quality required for luxury jade pieces.
Clear communicator able to translate design intent into technical requirements for cross-functional teams and external vendors.
Strong project and time management skills; able to manage multiple product launches and bespoke commissions under tight timelines.
Client-facing confidence for bespoke consultations, VIP presentations and trade-show interactions.
Collaborative mindset; able to work closely with merchandising, marketing, sourcing and production engineering teams.
Creative problem-solving and iterative mindset to reconcile design aesthetics with manufacturing constraints and cost targets.
Cultural sensitivity and respect for heritage jade symbolism and regional preferences when designing for international markets.
Leadership and mentorship skills to coach junior designers and bench makers.
Negotiation skills for vendor pricing, tooling timelines and material sourcing.
Adaptability to evolving trends, technologies (e.g., new CAD tools, sustainable materials) and shifting retail demands.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Jewelry Design, Industrial Design, Fine Arts, Gemology or equivalent hands-on experience in jewelry production and CAD.

Preferred Education:

GIA certification (Gemology), Graduate diploma in Jewelry Design, CAD certification courses (Rhino/Matrix), or apprenticeship background with master carvers.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Jewelry Design / Applied Arts
Gemology (GIA, FGA or equivalent)
Industrial/Product Design
Metalsmithing and Benchcraft

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3 - 8 years of professional experience in jewelry design or product development, with at least 2 years working specifically with jade or carved gemstones.

Preferred:

5+ years designing luxury jewelry collections with direct responsibility for prototype-to-production handoff.
Demonstrated experience managing offshore manufacturers and quality control audits, especially in regions known for jade and gemstone production.
Portfolio demonstrating CAD mastery, hand carving, finished jade pieces, technical documentation and successful product launches.