mumbai, Oct. 13 -- Donald Trump's decision to hike H-1B visa fees may have put the spotlight on India's information technology (IT) services industry, but it has also delivered a twin blow to the gems and jewellery sector-which is not only reeling from tariffs but also has thousands of artisans and technicians working in the US on these work permits. "Indian jewellers employ gemologists, metallurgists, quality control scientists, IT professionals on H-1B visa," said Poorvi Chothani, Immigration attorney and managing partner, LawQuest. "The additional cost of $100,000 may also deter employers from engaging H-1B workers. The jewellers may just offshore the roles-they will get these jobs done overseas." Jewellers point out that for the last couple of decades, specialists from India who can gauge the quality of diamonds and precious stones, and market them, will now find it difficult to travel on the said visa. Of the 3,000 trading offices overseas, 300 are located in the US, many of them on 47th Street in New York's Diamond District-and in Los Angeles. At least 5-10% of their workforce employed from India and now in the US holds the H-1B visa, said a prominent jeweller who did not want to be named. The number of visas that the jewellery industry receives is tiny compared with that of the IT industry. But this is a second hit for the sector after Trump's 50% tariffs on Indian goods. The US government can only approve 65,000 H-1B visas for companies, with 20,000 additional visas for foreign professionals who graduate with a master's degree or doctorate from an American educational institute. Some Indian professionals on H-1B visas include gemologists with gem science and gemological engineering degrees; 3D model designers; material scientists specialised in precious metals, alloys, plating, and finishing processes; and data scientists who can recognise gemstone patterns....