Custom Jewelry Gem Specialist

CustomMade Jewelers; United States; On-site; USD 60,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits

Employee jewelry discount

Paid holidays & PTO

Standard business hours

Job summary

CustomMade Jewelers is seeking a dedicated Gemstone Specialist to own gem sourcing, procurement, and supplier management for bespoke engagements. This remote, full-time role emphasizes quality and cost awareness, translating client budgets into radiant, ethically sourced stones.

You'll advise project managers and customers, weigh options across supplier networks, and ensure timely delivery while maintaining high standards of gem quality and price competitiveness.

Qualifications

• Excellent written communication skills are essential.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Experience in gem sourcing or purchasing is preferred.
• Graduate Gemologist degree or GIA coursework required or preferred.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate stones across supplier network and select options that fit budget and preferences.
• Serve as internal gem expert advising Project Managers and customers.
• Resolve gem-related questions and concerns for the company.
• Review supplier invoices for accuracy and approve for payment.

Skills

Gemstone sourcing

Procurement management

Supplier relations

Quality assurance

Decision-making

Education

Graduate Gemologist degree or GIA coursework

Bachelor's degree

Job description

At CustomMade, we believe engagement rings should be as personal as the relationships they represent. We make it easy to create a ring that's both one-of-a-kind and affordable. Turns out people really like that and word is really spreading quickly! We've created 30,000 pieces of custom jewelry and helped 12,000 couples get engaged, but we're still just getting started reshaping the jewelry industry.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Our offering is built on a one-on-one, specialized, and custom design experience and service. As a Custom Jewelry Gem Specialist, you'll be at the heart of our gem sourcing process, responsible for selecting and procuring the right stone for each customer's project. You'll serve as the company's internal gem expert and primary decision-maker on stone selection, gem procurement, supplier management, and gem quality — supporting our customer-facing teams on all things related to gems.

This role's primary duties involve: gem sourcing and selection, purchasing and procurement, supplier (vendor) management, and quality assurance for stones. You'll be evaluated primarily on your ability to select stones that fit each customer's budget and preferences while meeting our quality standard. Because every project is custom, no two sourcing decisions are identical — you'll exercise significant discretion and independent judgment in evaluating options across our supplier network, weighing quality against cost, and making purchasing and quality decisions that directly impact customers and the business.

• Evaluate stones across our supplier network and select the options presented to customers, applying gem expertise and judgment on quality, value, and fit with the customer's budget and preferences.
• Serve as the internal authority on gems — advising Project Managers and customers, and resolving gem-related questions and concerns on behalf of the company.
• Exercise judgment in high-stakes situations — for example, a stone that fails inspection, breaks in setting, or becomes unavailable close to a customer's deadline — including deciding among substitution, re-sourcing, or customer communication strategies.

Purchasing & procurement

• Make purchasing decisions for center stones and other gems, selecting the stone and supplier within company guidelines.
• Manage the procurement pipeline from order through delivery and storage, coordinating with suppliers and our in-office team.
• Identify and resolve procurement issues — delays, out-of-stock items, and reorders for stones that break in setting — and determine when project plans need to be adjusted.
• Purchase inventory stones, deciding what to stock based on demand, pricing, and supplier availability.
• Manage the company's day-to-day relationships with gem suppliers, including supplier performance, responsiveness, and quality.
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard new gem suppliers to strengthen our sourcing network.
• Review supplier invoices for accuracy, approve them for payment, and resolve invoicing discrepancies with suppliers.

Quality assurance

• Evaluate stones against our quality standards and determine whether they are acceptable for use in customer projects.
• Determine the appropriate resolution for gem quality issues — accepting, returning, or replacing a stone — and negotiate remediation with suppliers.
• Investigate and resolve customer concerns regarding stones, deciding on the appropriate remedy on behalf of the company.
• Review and update our gem estimates and pricing to ensure they are accurate and cost-competitive, recommending changes to management.
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement improvements to our sourcing, procurement, and quality processes; update internal gem guidance based on project experience.
• Advise management on supplier performance, market pricing trends, and recurring gem issues.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with team members, suppliers, and cross-functional partners.

This is a full-time, salaried, remote role. Though this role occasionally involves communicating with customers, it is primarily a non-customer-facing role.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• $60,000 – $62,000/yr
• This is a full-time role with full benefits (health, vision, dental)
• Employee jewelry discount
• Paid federal holidays and paid time off
• Standard business hours, Monday–Friday schedule

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Excellent written communication skills, ability to communicate clearly
• Excellent organization skills, and attention to detail
• Jewelry experience
• Resourcefulness — the ability to make good decisions in the absence of perfect information
• Graduate Gemologist degree or previous Gemological Institute of America (GIA) course work
• Preferred but not required
• Experience in gem sourcing or purchasing
• Bachelor's degree from a competitive college/university

CustomMade is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.