Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Jewelry Illustrator Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

We are hiring a Jewelry Illustrator Assistant to support our design and production teams by creating precise technical illustrations, production-ready CAD and 2D artwork, photorealistic renderings, and clear specification documents for manufacturing and e‑commerce. The ideal candidate combines strong vector and raster illustration skills (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop), hands-on CAD support (Rhino, Matrix, or equivalent), excellent attention to detail, and an understanding of jewelry manufacturing and stone setting conventions. This role reports to the Senior Jewelry Illustrator / CAD Designer and works closely with design, bench, sourcing, and production teams.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Jewelry Studio Assistant or Bench Jeweler Apprentice
CAD/Illustration Intern (Jewelry or Product Design)
Graphic Designer with experience in product illustration

Advancement To:

Senior Jewelry Illustrator / CAD Designer
Product Designer (Jewelry)
Technical Design Manager
Design Director / Head of Product Development

Lateral Moves:

CAD Modeler or 3D Modeler (Jewelry/Consumer Goods)
Product Development Coordinator
E‑commerce Visual Specialist (jewelry photography & retouch)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Produce precise, production-ready 2D technical illustrations and flat sketches of rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and bespoke pieces using Adobe Illustrator, ensuring correct proportions, scale, and construction lines for manufacturing.
Create and maintain detailed exploded-view drawings and assembly diagrams that communicate component relationships, solder points, and clasp / hinge mechanisms to bench jewelers and manufacturers.
Develop accurate stone maps and setting diagrams that specify stone sizes, cut types, setting styles (pave, prong, bezel, channel), stone counts and orientation for manufacturing and quality control.
Convert hand-rendered designer sketches and concept doodles into clean vector artwork and CAD-ready layouts while preserving designer intent and decorative details.
Draft and edit bill of materials (BOM), part numbering, and finish/metal callouts associated with each illustration so production and purchasing teams have unambiguous specifications.
Support 3D CAD modelers by producing orthographic views (front, side, top) and annotated 2D drawings derived from Rhino or Matrix models to speed iteration and reduce back-and-forth with manufacturing.
Prepare and export layered art files, dielines, and vector assets for casting, engraving, laser-cutting, or CNC milling with precise tolerances and correct file formats (AI, SVG, DXF, PDF).
Produce photorealistic renderings and color-corrected images for internal design reviews, client approvals, line sheets and e‑commerce using KeyShot, Rhino Render, or Photoshop compositing.
Vectorize and clean up scanned or photographed sketches and technical notes, aligning scale and adding dimensions and tolerance callouts for workshop use.
Create and maintain a centralized digital asset library of final illustrations, model images, stone maps, and spec sheets with consistent naming, versioning and metadata for easy retrieval.
Execute fast-turnaround mockups and variants for seasonal collections, customizing metal finishes, stone choices, and plating options for line reviews and marketing.
Collaborate directly with bench jewelers and production partners to interpret tooling, sprue, and casting restrictions, updating illustrations and specs to prevent manufacturing defects.
Retouch and optimize product photography (cropping, background removal, color correction) specifically for jewelry where color accuracy and high-magnification detail matter.
Generate packaging artwork, hang tags, and instructions that relate to the artwork and illustrations used on product collateral or warranty cards.
Support quality-control by producing close-up illustrations and annotated inspection sheets that highlight critical dimensions and acceptable tolerance ranges for incoming parts.
Translate designer comments and client revisions into clear annotated art revisions, maintaining a revision history and communicating changes to production stakeholders.
Prepare and format artwork for print and digital production, ensuring CMYK/PANTONE guidance, spot varnish areas, and print-ready bleeds for marketing collateral and packaging.
Produce quick concept-to-visualization flats and tech sketches for design reviews and advertising briefs to accelerate concept validation with buyers and internal teams.
Create templates and standard drawing sheets for repeatable product categories (e.g., solitaires, eternity bands) to streamline new style setup and reduce rework.
Assist in 3D file hygiene and pre-print checks for rapid prototyping and 3D printing (checking watertightness, wall thickness, and scaling) in coordination with model-making teams.
Maintain compliance documentation and markups for hallmarking, metal content stamps, and regulatory labeling within technical artwork as required by market and legal teams.
Act as a liaison between design, production and sourcing teams to clarify material finishes, plating thicknesses, and stone treatments so illustrations match manufactured outcomes.
Proactively suggest improvements to the illustration-to-production workflow, identifying repeat bottlenecks and creating templates, checklists, and SOPs to increase throughput and accuracy.

Secondary Functions

Assist with ad‑hoc visual tasks such as creating presentations, line sheets, and lookbooks using product illustrations and CAD views.
Support inventory and SKU setup by providing clear visual assets and dimension sheets used by merchandising and e‑commerce teams.
Participate in design reviews, sprint planning, and weekly production standups to prioritize illustration and CAD tasks across collections.
Help train junior illustrators, interns, or bench staff on interpreting technical drawings and using the asset library.
Conduct occasional material research (metal types, plating processes, gemstone suppliers) to inform accurate spec callouts in drawings.
Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives addressing file-naming conventions, folder structure, and version control to reduce errors downstream.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert proficiency in Adobe Illustrator for vector technical drawings, flats, annotation, and export of print/digital-ready files.
Strong skills in Adobe Photoshop for photorealistic retouching, compositing, color correction, and e‑commerce image prep.
Hands-on experience with Rhino 3D (or Matrix/3Design) to read, export, and coordinate CAD/2D workflows between modeling and illustration.
Familiarity with KeyShot or similar rendering engines to produce photoreal product visuals and material studies.
Ability to prepare manufacturing-ready vector files: exporting AI/PDF/SVG/DXF with correct layers, scale, and tolerances.
Knowledge of jewelry manufacturing processes (casting, lost wax, CNC, soldering, stone setting) to create feasible technical art.
Experience creating accurate stone maps, setting diagrams, and annotated gem specifications.
Proficient in file version control, asset management systems, and standardized naming conventions (Dropbox, Google Drive, DAMs).
Ability to measure and dimension physical samples, translate physical tolerances into drawing annotations and acceptance criteria.
Competence in preparing artwork for print (CMYK, PANTONE, bleeds, dielines) and digital use (RGB, web-optimized exports).
Basic 3D printing / rapid prototyping knowledge to check STL files and communicate necessary fixes to modelers.
Comfortable producing BOMs, SKU artwork, and packaging graphics tied to technical illustrations.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to spot inconsistencies between design intent and production output.
Strong communication skills: able to clearly explain technical constraints to non-technical designers and suppliers.
Time management and prioritization in fast-paced seasonal design cycles and tight production deadlines.
Collaborative mindset—works well cross-functionally with designers, bench jewelers, sourcing and marketing.
Problem-solving orientation: anticipates manufacturing challenges and proposes practical illustration-based solutions.
Adaptability and willingness to learn new software, tools, and production techniques as needed.
Professionalism in managing feedback loops and maintaining positive working relationships under revision pressure.
Organizational skills for maintaining complex digital asset libraries, file versions, and revision histories.
Visual sensitivity and aesthetic judgment appropriate for high-end jewelry presentation.
Persistence and quality ownership—follows illustrations through to production sign-off and addresses post-production issues.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with demonstrated portfolio experience in technical illustration or jewelry artwork.

Preferred Education:

Associate's or Bachelor’s degree in Jewelry Design, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, or related art/design field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Jewelry Design
Industrial/Product Design
Graphic Design / Illustration
Fine Arts with a focus on product rendering
CAD / 3D Modeling programs or drafting courses
Gemology fundamentals (beneficial)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–4 years of direct experience producing jewelry technical illustrations, CAD support, or product design illustration.

Preferred:

2–5+ years working in a jewelry design studio, manufacturing environment, or an e‑commerce brand producing jewelry artwork.
Portfolio demonstrating CAD-to-2D workflows, stone maps, technical flats, and production-ready CAD exports.
Experience collaborating with bench jewelers, model makers, and external manufacturers.