Jewellery Operations Manager

Wave Antiques; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Borrow exquisite jewellery up to 4days

Ongoing gem identification training

Collaborative, supportive culture

Job summary

Wave Antiques in Hatton Garden is seeking a Jewellery Operations Manager to own the flow of pieces from purchase to live listing, with hands-on grading, documentation and accurate listings. This role combines stock control, despatch, repairs coordination, invoicing and office operations, with leadership responsibilities as needed.

You will work on stocking in, grading gemstones, publishing listings, maintaining stock records across systems and preparing items for client appointments, while

Qualifications

• Gem-A Gemmology Diploma (FGA) or GIA GG required for identifying and grading stones.
• Diamond grading proficiency with ability to read and verify certificates.
• Deep jewellery knowledge: metals, settings, and antique/vintage pieces.
• Hands-on operations experience in stock or back-of-house roles, ideally jewellery/arts.
• Meticulous records keeping and stock control across multiple systems.
• Comfort with systems/software and quickly adopting new tools.

Responsibilities

• Stock in new jewellery and grade stones with complete records.
• Publish accurate product listings in line with Wave’s tone.
• Coordinate despatch to trade customers and manage packaging, insurance and tracking.
• Coordinate repairs with workshops; manage quotes and returns.
• Raise invoices and monitor payments; keep stock records updated across systems.
• Prepare pieces for client appointments and maintain office operations.

Skills

Gemmology knowledge

Diamond grading

Jewellery knowledge

Stock/ops experience

Detail oriented

Systems & software savvy

Education

Gem-A Gemmology Diploma (FGA) or GIA GG

Tools

Inventory software

Job description

About Wave Antiques

Based in the heart of Hatton Garden, Wave Antiques is an independent, design-led jeweller with five generations of expertise. We offer a thoughtfully curated collection of antique and fine jewellery, with a deep love for vintage design and distinctive pieces.

We're breaking the mould for Hatton Garden jewellers, with a strong online and social media presence and more diverse clientele. We have ambitious growth plans built on finding new routes to our customers, and this role will be critical to maintain and accelerate this growth.

Role Overview

We are looking for a Jewellery Operations Manager to own how jewellery moves through the business, from the moment we buy a piece to the moment it is live and selling.

The core of the role is stocking in and listing. You will check new pieces in, grade the stones, record the full detail on each one, and publish accurate listings. Every piece Wave buys is one of a kind, so each one has to be assessed properly before it can be sold.

Around that sits the rest of the operation: shipping to trade customers, coordinating repairs, raising invoices, keeping stock records straight, and keeping the office itself running.

This is primarily a hands-on role. You will spend the majority of your time doing the work, and some time supervising others doing it, owning the process, knowing what is in the pipeline and any hold-ups, and reporting to leadership.

This role is full time, on site at our Hatton Garden office, and salaried.

Key Responsibilities

Listing and stocking in

• Stock in new jewellery as it is purchased, from arrival and checking through to a complete and accurate record in our systems.
• Grade gemstones and complete detailed jewellery information on unique pieces: stones, cuts, carat, metals, hallmarks, measurements, condition and provenance.
• Produce and publish listings that are accurate, complete and consistent with Wave's tone, using the tools available to you, and get pieces live promptly.
• Lead the listing pipeline end to end: setting the order of work, keeping pieces moving, and clearing the backlog as buying volumes grow.

Jewellery operations

• Ship jewellery to trade customers and manage despatch end to end, including packing, insurance and tracking.
• Coordinate repairs and modifications with our workshops and craftspeople, from quote through to return and final check.
• Source replacement gems where a piece needs them.
• Raise invoices and follow up on payment.
• Run stock reconciliations and keep stock records accurate across the website and our internal systems.
• Prepare and present pieces for client appointments.

Office and workplace operations

• Keep the office running day to day, from water deliveries and watering the plants through to the routine compliance that comes with the premises: GDPR and data handling, and recycling and waste management.
• Coordinate outside suppliers, including cleaning, repairs and maintenance.
• Make sure the things the business relies on stay operational and get replaced when they need to be: phones, internet, software and hardware. This is not a technical role. It is about noticing what is failing, learning enough to ask the right questions, and getting suppliers moving before it becomes a problem.

Managing and reporting on the process

• Own the stock-in and listing process: track what has comes in, what is listed, what is waiting, and where it is held up.
• Report to the directors on the numbers that matter, including pieces stocked in, listings live, repairs outstanding and invoices outstanding.
• Improve the process as volumes grow, so turnaround times hold up as Wave buys more.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• A recognised gemmological qualification: the Gem-A Gemmology Diploma (FGA) or the GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG), or an equivalent, with the practical skill to identify and grade coloured stones using a loupe, microscope and refractometer.
• Diamond grading to a professional standard: the Gem-A Diamond Diploma (DGA), GIA Graduate Diamonds, or equivalent training, with the confidence to grade colour, clarity, cut and carat consistently and to read and sense-check certification.
• In-depth jewellery knowledge: metals and hallmarks, settings and construction, period and style identification across antique and vintage pieces, and condition assessment, enough to stock in a one-off piece without supervision.
• Experience in a hands‑on operations, stock or back‑of‑house role, ideally in jewellery, watches, antiques, art or another high‑value category.
• Comfortable handling valuable items with care, and meticulous about records.
• Confident with systems and software and quick to pick up new tools, with a real appetite to work alongside new and evolving technology to make stocking in faster, more consistent and more accurate.
• Highly organised, able to hold a pipeline of work in order and keep it moving without being chased.

Desirable

• Experience creating and improving processes, and applying technology to automate them.
• Experience coordinating workshops, repairs or external suppliers.
• Experience valuing or cataloguing antique and vintage jewellery, or a background in the auction or antiques trade.

Personal Qualities

• Meticulous, with a real eye for detail.
• Proactive and ownership minded: you spot what could be better and improve it.
• Practical and unfussy, happy to do the small jobs that keep an office running well.
• Curious and motivated to keep learning about jewellery, gemstones and design history.
• Trustworthy and discreet, handling valuable stock and client data.

What We Offer

• A competitive salary, tailored to experience and contribution.
• The opportunity to work closely with rare and historically significant jewellery while shaping a modern, digital-first brand.
• Opportunity to borrow exquisite jewellery for up to 4 days of the year.
• Ongoing training in gem identification, and the nuances of antique jewellery.
• A collaborative, supportive culture with scope to propose and lead initiatives that improve how the business runs.