Goldsmith / Silversmith
If you love working with your hands to create beautiful, lasting objects — combining precious metals with Sri Lanka's famous gemstones — goldsmithing is a timeless craft with a global market for skilled artisans.”
About This Role
Crafts and repairs gold and silver jewelry by hand. Sets gemstones, fabricates settings, and finishes pieces to high quality. Traditional craft skill passed through apprenticeship. Sri Lanka has active jewelry manufacturing clusters in Colombo and Moratuwa.
A Day in the Life
Craft fine jewellery pieces by hand — fabricating gold, silver, and platinum settings, soldering, stone setting, and finishing — at a jewellery workshop in Colombo, Ratnapura, or Kandy.
- Fabricate jewellery components using bench work — sawing, filing, soldering, forming
- Cast wax models using lost-wax casting process
- Set gemstones using prong, bezel, channel, or pavé setting techniques
- Polish and finish jewellery pieces to mirror quality
- Repair and resize jewellery for customers
- Solder and assemble multi-component pieces (chains, brooches)
- Inspect finished pieces for quality and hallmarking requirements
Work Environment
Jewellery workshop (bench work environment) — small-scale, quiet, precise craft environment. Traditional gold and silversmith workshops are found in Maradana (Colombo), Kandy, and Ratnapura.
Typical hours: 45h/week · WLB score 7/10 · OCCASIONAL overtime
Craft-focused work with structured hours. Busy during festive seasons. Generally satisfying and self-paced craft environment.
Skills Required
Technical Skills
Soft Skills
Tools & Software
Salary in Sri Lanka (LKR / month)
Typical progression: 4yr to mid · 10yr to senior
Global Salary (USD / year)
Top Markets
Market Outlook
STABLE
Sri Lanka's jewellery export and domestic market requires skilled goldsmiths. Demand for handcrafted pieces is growing in the premium segment as machine-made jewellery becomes commoditised.
Hiring: MEDIUM
STABLE
Skilled goldsmiths are in demand in UAE (Dubai gold souk), UK, and USA for high-end bespoke jewellery.
Entry Requirements
Sri Lanka
Preferred
Global
Preferred
Helpful Certifications
Entrepreneurship & Freelancing
Freelance earnings: $400–$2500/mo (USD)
Platforms (SL)
Business Ideas
- Own goldsmith workshop and jewellery retail shop
- Bespoke wedding and engagement ring service
- Jewellery repair and restoration service
Side Income Ideas
NGJA supports jewellery SMEs; Artisan craft loan schemes available from Bank of Ceylon and People's Bank
Risks & Challenges
AI / Automation Risk
LOW
LONG TERM
Burnout Risk
LOW
Job Security (SL)
HIGH
CNC milling and 3D printing are used for wax models but hand finishing, stone setting, and bespoke fabrication remain human craft skills.
Burnout Causes
Physical Health Risks
Mental Health Risks
How to Mitigate
- Always use appropriate PPE when soldering and polishing
- Learn CAD to complement bench skills and become a complete jewellery professional
- Build direct client relationships for custom work
Is This Career For You?
Practically-minded person with exceptional manual dexterity and an eye for beauty who prefers hands-on craft to desk work.
Personality Types
Core Motivations
What You'll Love
- Creating lasting objects of beauty and value
- Highly satisfying craft mastery
- Independence through own workshop
What's Challenging
- Long learning period
- Physical demands on hands and eyes
- Low starting pay in apprenticeship