Jewelry photography is a bit trickier than other types of product photography because of the simple fact that the size of a jewelry product is much smaller and there are finer details that need to be captured.
To master the photography of jewelry, you need to take care of image sharpness, lighting, and exposure for small, shiny, and intricate items.
If jewelry photography is something you’ve struggled with in the past then this is the guide for you. Here we’ll share with you tips and tricks on how to ace your jewelry photography. We’ll also share creative ideas for jewelry backgrounds and the latest trends in jewelry photography that you can copy.
Moreover, you’ll find helpful tips in this guide to excel in jewelry photography even when you are on a budget.
This detailed guide is the only resource you need to make your jewelry photography shine.
Do you own a fantastic jewelry brand and plan to have a product photoshoot soon? Or are you starting your brand new jewelry business and now want great pictures for your eCommerce store? Maybe you are simply revamping your existing website?
The background for jewelry photography you choose is one of the single most essential aspects. Depending upon the type of your jewelry and your brand’s message, you can determine what kind of background will best suit your product.
If you have noticed, most jewelry brands have a white or black background. However, this is not a rule. If plain colors bore you, no law says you only need to stick to simple jewelry photography backgrounds.
Choosing a background for your product is easier than you think. Jewelry photography can be done against different objects as backgrounds, and they can still look aesthetic. Let’s talk about some of the best backgrounds for jewelry photography that you can use for your next product photoshoot.
But before that, let’s discuss why choosing the correct background is necessary for jewelry brands with eCommerce stores.
Not many brands give attention to this crucial element in product photography. The fact that you are here means you do know better. Thousands of people will come across your website from different sources. Each of these visitors will rely only on your product’s image to decide if they should trust your product.
Choosing the best background is essential because you want to ensure your target audience relates to your product the minute their eyes fall on it. The background of your product will be a part of the entire picture. And the type of background that you use will determine how your audience will perceive your brand. According to a study, 75% of eCommerce shoppers rely on product photos to make an informed decision.
If you are unsure what background will best suit your brand, ask yourself how you want your target audience to perceive your brand. Do you want to come off as a fun, playful brand? Or do you want to portray minimalism and luxury? Affordable jewelry pieces usually have colorful background colors, while expensive jewelry has a minimal background color.
Suppose you don’t know what background you want to use for your product. In that case, you can experiment with the following different options we have listed below.
Here are some of the best backgrounds you can try in jewelry photography -
76% of product photos have a white background. Hence, a white background is your safest bet — especially when hosting your jewelry product on another website. When using a white backdrop for your product photoshoot, it is always better to use artificial lighting to simplify the editing process. You can also consider investing in a lightbox from Amazon in the long run.
Want to showcase classy pictures on your feed? A black background will do the job for you. Black backgrounds make jewelry brands pop out with minimal effort.
Ideally, you will require only two flashes when shooting jewelry with a black background to avoid glares. Remember to clean the jewelry before the shoot. The distance between the product and the background should not be less than 1m to prevent the light from the flash from lighting up the background.
If you are looking for something subtle but don’t want a black or white background, you can consider a gray background. Gray is fine, and it best highlights a jewelry’s features. If you are advertising bright stones, gray is a great background option.
You can also choose from the pre-existing banners in DoMyShoot. The app highlights the most trending product backgrounds for you.
Unlike photography for a white background, use lighting from only the front instead of the back for a gray background. Later, to enhance the image’s look and feel, use the basic presets from Lightroom.
If you are looking for something budget-friendly, consider using a satin material fabric. Play around with how you arrange the fabric. Avoid having too many folds so that your jewelry remains in focus. Satin cloth gives a good elegant effect to jewelry products.
Gold has always portrayed richness and luxury. While jewelry products are already luxury products, you can use a gold background for the most expensive products on your list.
Bokeh is the type of background that is out-of-focus in your photo. You can experiment with different backgrounds for jewelry photography. You can hang lights in a dark room and place your product at a distance from the light to give you enough space to focus on the product and blur the background.
You can also use an existing bokeh effect video from YouTube and place your product in front of the screen in a dark room. However, it would be better to use fairy lights in the background and blur them later. Yellow or blue lights make the best photo background color.
Want to divert from the usual black and white background? Use natural backgrounds like big leaves or flowers in contrast to your jewelry. These make for fantastic shots. Bright, colorful photos suit you well for advertising your product on personal blogs or social media. You can find many natural background templates in the DoMyShoot app.
This natural element adds texture to your photograph in a beautiful way. You only have to place your subject on the wood. You can also change only the color of the wood to black and white in photoshop, leaving the color of the jewelry untouched.
Check out the flat lay backgrounds and the tabletop setting backgrounds in the DoMyShoot app.
Want your audience to imagine how it would feel to be wearing your jewelry? Displaying jewelry on people can help people imagine if that is something they would wear. If you have a reasonable budget, you can invest in getting people on board and showcasing your jewelry. The DoMyShoot app has several pre-existing templates where you can place your product on a model’s wrist, ear, feet, neck, or shoulder within the app itself.
Graphite might not be the first thing that pops into your mind. However, graphite is a great creative background for jewelry photography, especially bright stones.
Dark backgrounds for jewelry photography signify luxury and subtlety. Black sand is another option worth considering. If you have access to black sand, you can use that or make black sand at home. Place the sand on black paper. You can play around with how you want to arrange the sand.
Sellers must make efforts to enhance the quality of jewelry photography and to accomplish this, additional components are often used in the frame with the main jewelry item.
Let’s look at some simple and creative props for jewelry photography that can be used to boost your images.
Following are some simple jewelry photography props you can use -
A pendant stand is great for capturing wide or narrow V-shape necklaces. It also makes it easier for photographers to handle varying chain lengths.
It is better to suspend a pendant with a long chain so that it does not interfere with the jewelry aesthetic. It draws more attention to the pendant, which is the centerpiece of the jewelry. A pendant stand also makes it easier for photographers to modulate exposure to the light. It enhances the visibility of the intricate details of the jewelry.
Neckpieces are the highlight of most jewelry sets; hence, it is critical that the photographer showcases them in the best way possible.
Bowls are another jewelry photography props that can be used for necklaces while taking flat photos, which gives them a good shape. Bowls shape the chains effectively, despite being an unexpected prop.
A post back with two holes is a commonly used prop for earrings, especially studs. It works well for earrings of all sizes and is ideal for flat and hanging photography.
Jewelry photographers can create a unique frame using post backs. It helps capture clear and detailed shots of earrings that convey essential information to the customers. It saves a lot of time by reducing customer queries.
Hook backs are earring photography props that utilize a single frame with a cut-out center. A transparent acrylic thread clipped together on either side is an alternative to hook backs for use instead. The acrylic thread is later photoshopped and removed from the final image. It helps photographers get the floating effect on earrings.
The acrylic sheet allows sellers to create a variety of angle shots with background effects. However, photographers must understand the technical aspects of jewelry photography against a background. Both white and black backdrops are popular in acrylic sheets. With these options, it is easy to modulate lighting. Photographers can position the light source in a variety of ways to generate the desired output.
Acrylic sheets allow customers to have a uniform view of the entire jewelry piece, including its different components. It is possible because acrylic sheets have no distinct center of focus, which eliminates the macro effect and balances the image quality with enriching colors. It helps create high-quality jewelry photographs and enables users to view intricate details of the jewelry without putting much strain on the eyes.
Expert photographers use prop wax to stabilize the jewelry. A white putty is a cheaper alternative to prop wax. Sellers benefit from this prop as it doesn’t stain the jewelry surface. So, pieces of jewelry can easily be adhered to and removed from a surface. However, prop wax, unlike white putty, can be re-used.
A hand holder is a popular prop for displaying rings or bracelets. It is usually made of plastic and has an impersonation of a hand shape. It is a great prop for displaying the design and utility of the product.
In addition to the discussed props, the following are some budget-friendly, creative, and DIY props for jewelry photography.
For creative jewelry captures, sellers can explore some lifestyle props. Natural materials like seashells and oysters enhance the impact of pearl-based pieces of jewelry.
Even seasonal food items like coffee, tea, and summer drinks add a theme to the jewelry photos. Sellers can try to elicit such association by placing pearl rings near oysters, diamond earrings on a huge stone, or short necklaces on a shell.
Plants, leaves, and twigs in the backdrop are sometimes all you need to make your jewelry stand out. Natural surfaces are one-of-a-kind and make for an appealing background for jewelry photography. For example, pebbles, tree branches, and invitation cards evoke emotion in wedding ring images. These are also the best props for photographing rustic antiques or trash jewelry.
Wedding jewelry can also be enhanced using a variety of flowers or petals. Flowers of the same color as the jewelry stone makes the jewelry even more attractive. That’s why red roses are often utilized in photography of Ruby-based jewelry, blue Calla Lilies for sapphires, and white tulips for diamonds, among other things.
Fruits are budget-friendly props to highlight brilliant stones. Water droplets used in combination with fruits yield an enhanced effect. Oranges and lemons are the most commonly used fruits for such purposes. Photographers can also color-coordinate their jewelry with the background fruits to highlight jewelry stones. Fresh cherries, for example, can be used to complement a red stone.
An icy backdrop works best photographing silver jewelry. The colors of jewelry pieces with blue or white stones are enhanced multi-fold with ice in the background. Sellers can also freeze the jewelry partially or entirely for the desired effect.
Mirror background in jewelry photography can yield desired light reflections. A simple mirror, a tablet screen, or even a cooking foil is suitable for creating such striking effects.
Today, you can easily start your jewelry business without heavy investment in brick-and-mortar stores. The rise of eCommerce has helped motivated entrepreneurs to easily achieve their goals by setting up an online store in mere minutes.
However, building an online jewelry business can still be quite difficult. There’s so much more to be done beyond setting up a Shopify store. Prioritizing how you capture the essence of your products through photography is one!
To help you get some inspiration, here we share a few photography ideas from some of the best jewelry stores on Shopify -
Understanding and analyzing what your competitors are doing is an absolute necessity when running any business. Let’s explore what some of the top Shopify jewelry stores are doing and what they got right. This will give you a headstart in executing the best jewelry photography ideas for your online jewelry brand so you can stand out amidst the competition.
We’re sure these examples will help you come up with great ideas to shoot jewelry for your brand.
Shashi is a Shopify jewelry store that sells dainty necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings.
Their online storefront is beautifully designed by using their brand colors - white, black, and earthy brown tones and the product catalog consists of pieces of jewelry made of gold and rose gold.
Notice how they display jewelry on the Shopify store. Their product pages are minimal yet tie their whole brand story together seamlessly.
The brand realizes that its product needs to be in the spotlight and hence chooses to use plain and light backdrops. They also show the product on a model to give customers a better idea of what the product actually looks like. This helps eliminate any anxiety or confusion the shopper might have about buying jewelry online.
Furthermore, there are no other jewelry pieces used on the model on a particular product page to help show the product in a better light. It helps in not losing focus on the product at hand.
Wolf Circus is a Shopify store that sells demi-fine handcrafted jewelry pieces. They make use of recycled sterling silver or recycled bronze in their products. It is then covered in high-grade 14k gold plating.
Their website design and product photography are minimalistic and classy. Throughout their entire site, they make use of high-definition photographs that highlight their jewelry creations.
All the photos captured and used portray a rather sophisticated vibe that matches the brand’s overall aesthetic. In their product pages, they have prioritized focussing on the intricate details of their minimalistic jewelry.
Qalo is an online brand that develops “ultra-durable active lifestyle products”. The brand offers silicone rings for humans along with sustainable pet accessories.
Their website design is sleek and clean, including their product page structure and flow.
Qalo’s product photography is unique because of the use of cute and fluffy pets that help capture the mood and aesthetic of the brand accurately. They have tried to incorporate emotions to execute their creative jewelry photography ideas.
This is brilliant because it helps the consumer connect instantly and thus make faster purchases.
Rebel Nell creates and sells one-of-a-kind jewelry items from Detroit Graffiti fragments. There are no two identical products in their store, and you get “one of no other kind.”
Their product photography manages to capture the essence of wearable art. All their pictures are colorful, bright, vivid, and bold. It helps portray the brand’s vision and aesthetic while also displaying the intricate details of their products.
There are so many sub-categories and niches even in the field of jewelry. For instance, you could be a minimal jewelry brand or a streetwear jewelry brand. Essentially, both brands are jewelry brands. However, the feel, vibe, and aesthetics of both these brands are going to be poles apart.
Your jewelry photography ideas need to be able to capture this very essence of your brand.
King Ice is one of Shopify’s top streetwear jewelry brands. The brand’s product catalog consists of iced rings and pendants with chains.
The product shots used on the website does complete justice to the company’s style. Vivid, detailed, and magnified images portray the bling and dazzle of the products in the best light possible.
CRAFTD is a premium jewelry business that sells pendants, chains, rings, and earrings for men.
This brand’s product photography is minimalistic. Their prime focus is on their designs. So, you will notice clean tight shots with solid backgrounds and warm-toned lighting that help the shopper easily view their products.
Vitaly describes itself as an “experimental design movement”. They sell a wide range of jewelry items including rings, pendants, necklaces, and bracelets.
This brand’s product photography is flawless and gives a rather futuristic vibe. All pictures used on their website have a sense of character to it. Their product images are crisp and clear and match the gold and silver tones of their jewelry, thus tying everything together.
Vitaly also makes use of 360-degree product shots to let the user view the product clearly.
Jewelry photography for Instagram is a lot different from eCommerce platforms. The composition and editing required for Instagram are far more diverse because the content has to have a unique visual appeal to make viewers stop scrolling and view the product. A single image of the jewelry with a white background that works for eCommerce will not do the trick for Instagram.
So, sellers need to try different approaches to level up their jewelry Instagram feed. Stats are also in favor because 65% of people engage more with visual content on social media.
Keeping up with the trend is what can make it possible. Sellers need to know the type of content their consumers prefer for a targeted approach. It is one of the best ways for guaranteed engagement. Let’s discuss the top jewelry photography trends that every jewelry photographer should explore.
Following are some of the top trends in jewelry photography that can help you up your Instagram game -
Consumers are starting to get bored of seeing still product photographs. They want more. Motion imaging refers to a 360-degree view of the product. It highlights the characteristic features of a jewelry piece that helps users differentiate one brand from another.
Motion imaging is not typically the same as videos. It instead creates the illusion of movement. It has become increasingly popular across social media platforms. This type of imaging is preferred now by many eCommerce platforms as well. Motion imaging is going to stay for the long term because the majority of brands are learning ways to incorporate it into their marketing strategy.
Authenticity is one of the most valued traits when it comes to excelling on social media platforms. Viewers on Instagram tend to shy away from edited photographs, especially in an obvious way. However, posting unedited images means that the jewelry photography has to be on-point while capturing the product. It will require more time, investment, and effort in photography. But in the long run, it will yield beneficial outcomes.
Authentic photography is an overarching top jewelry photography trend. It adds a personality to the product that attracts the attention of the viewers. Sellers should avoid over-glamorized representations of their products if they want to grow on Instagram.
Levitation adds a sense of surrealism to the jewelry image. It is currently one of the hottest trends in the market.
Levitation gives jewelry photographs a bit of playful and magical essence. Sellers can incorporate levitation by the use of props or with great editing software. Among other things, levitation in jewelry photography will make your product eye-catching for sure!
Choosing diversity in how you represent your jewelry is imperative to success on social media platforms like Instagram. Brands now prefer models with diverse bodies and face types to showcase their products. Real diverse models give users the feel of the jewelry.
So, instead of finding models that look closest to your audience, embrace the natural human beauty while photographing jewelry on models.
Remember, less is more. Do less skin texture smoothening, face-tuning, photoshop, and body-resizing. Show how your product will look on real people, on them.
Minimalism in jewelry photography represents the idea of creating a self-standing image of the product without the need for excess props, text, or items in the photograph. Minimalism in jewelry photography significantly reduces the distracting elements, driving maximum attention to the jewelry presented.
Monochromatic color palettes are most popular in minimalistic jewelry photography layouts. It makes the jewelry stand out against the background in a stylish way. Such a setup requires careful placement of the product to create high contrast without the use of clashing colors.
Jewelry photography is not limited to still images anymore. Since online consumers are shopping without physically experiencing the product, they want more details. It is where jewelry videos come in.
Showcasing jewelry in motion highlights more product details. It also helps users connect with the product and gain a real-like experience.
Videos have been overwhelmingly effective in attracting users to Instagram. It has also enhanced customer conversion rates for many brands. According to a survey, 90% of the customers prefer videos to make purchase decisions. Videos help buyers visualize the jewelry on themselves, which significantly reduces the instances of product return and increases customer satisfaction.
In addition to trends, aesthetics on Instagram play an important role in building a brand image. Following are some tips and tricks for taking aesthetic jewelry pictures for social media -
Research is the key to creating Instagram-worthy jewelry pictures. Sellers should understand their audience’s hearts. They must also analyze the strategy of their competitive brands and then pick a unique proposition for their product. Based on the need, your Instagram aesthetics can be bright, moody, loud, warm, minimal, cold, etc.
Lifestyle imaging in jewelry photography is the best way to show what your brand is all about. It creates a real-like experience for viewers. It has been a popular approach for boosting revenue for big brands in the market.
Sharing what goes on behind the camera help viewers connect with the brand. Sellers should give their audience an insight into the creative process behind creating jewelry photographs. To make it fun, Instagram offers a variety of features that sellers can leverage, like live streams, boomerangs, reels, layout, and much more. It is the best way to grab the short attention spans of potential consumers while they flick through content on Instagram.
It is an underrated strategy that plays a crucial role in building a brand on Instagram. It is a subtle yet impactful way of increasing traffic and engagement. Sellers should put effort and think seriously into planning the sequence of posts that goes on their Instagram.
Wondering how to photograph jewelry at home? Or looking for a way to complete a stellar photoshoot when on a budget? We’ve got you!
While there are expensive tools to get your work done, simpler ways of doing the same things still exist. Let’s discuss how you can have a jewelry photoshoot on budget.
However, before we get into it, let’s discuss the equipment needed.
The answer to this question is more straightforward than you think. Look around your house. Do you notice familiar things like books, your cellphone, a window, papers, or satin cloth? You might have a few of these; some you may have to borrow. Now, how can you put these things to use?
While DSLRs can get you amazing shots (you can borrow one from a friend. If not, read further), smartphones too can get you good jewelry photos. You will have to adjust the camera focus on your phone and get the correct lighting.
Speaking of lighting, do you have a window from where good light enters your house? Use that! The golden hours, i.e., sunrise or sunsets, are the best time to photograph jewelry at home. When taking pictures from your phone camera, this light (from the golden hours) will give your jewelry a good effect. You will end up getting some magnificent shots.
Have you figured out why we have added books to this list yet? Books make excellent budget-friendly tripods. Stack your books one above the other, make sure your phone is steady, and set a timer before taking your shots.
Papers can be used to remove any unwanted reflections. They also make for unique backgrounds. You can try different colored papers pertaining to your brand’s message. You can place these papers underneath or behind your jewelry.
Satin clothes make unique jewelry backgrounds. You can buy them once and use them repeatedly.
Now, let’s discuss some tips on how to get an impressive jewelry photoshoot on a budget -
The natural light source is the most budget-friendly light source there is. Hear me out on this one. The light during sunrise or sunset works the best for light jewelry photography.
Suppose you are shooting for dark jewelry photography. In that case, you can invest in the essential minimal tools such as
All of these will together cost about $500. It is worth it if you use this equipment in the long run. Or else, hiring a product photographer will be cheaper than investing in jewelry photography equipment.
When choosing a smartphone, choose one that has a good focus. You can also borrow one from a friend or a family member. Jewelry photography is all about focusing on minor details. Hence, choose a smartphone camera with a macro lens to help you focus on your product details.
You can consider getting a good DSLR lens if you have the budget. Nikon lens from Amazon is a good deal (Buy on Amazon).
You will find so many budget-friendly items around the house you will be surprised! See if you have the following things in your home: fancy tiles, mirrors, marble boxes, vases, and satin cloth. If you don’t have any of these items, you can go on a shopping spree!
After arranging your lighting, getting the best smartphone for a perfect shot, and getting all your props in place, you need to ensure you are at least getting steady shots.
As we mentioned above, you can use a stack of books and place your phone on it (you can use some heavy object to keep on either side of your phone to keep it steady). Investing in a tripod for the long run is a good idea (Buy on Amazon).
The background is an integral part of jewelry photography. It sets the tone and story of the entire image.
Light background colors signify play, joy, and elegance. Dark backgrounds represent luxury, minimalism, and elegance. However, no matter your brand’s message, you can choose from various options.
It is about trial and experimentation when it comes to styling your product. There is no one-size-fits-all. Choose your background, get your props ready, and lighting set.
Being ready beforehand, especially when using natural light, is essential. You don’t want to miss out on the peak hours!
Keep your jewelry polished and ready beforehand. Use cotton gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. If you are using a DSLR, these minor details will be evident.
Photographing metals and jewels together can be a task because you will get a reflection from metals. You can have an overhead light over your metal product to avoid this.
The next thing to do is take pictures of the same object from different angles. Many sites allow you to have not one but multiple images of the same product. This is so that the buyer understands what the product will look like after purchase.
If your site allows you to have multiple images, make full use of these spaces.
Once you have chosen your props, background, and lighting and taken some fantastic pictures of your jewelry, the next step is editing these images.
Editing your product images is a work of art. You can outsource this task or take the time and learn this. Initially, like learning any new skill, learning editing will take time. But once you understand your way around, it will come naturally to you.
Editing your images will enhance the photograph, and your product’s primary features will pop out.
This jewelry photography guide talked about the best backgrounds, creative props, styling inspiration, social media trends, and tips for a budget photoshoot in jewelry photography.
While we hope you use these tips and tricks to give a boost to your jewelry photography, you should also be aware that there’s an easy way out if you do not want to go through the hassle of doing it all by yourself.
DoMyShoot is a user-friendly eCommerce product photography app that allows online sellers like you to get high-quality product photos in a matter of hours as opposed to days and weeks.
You can use this app to click product photos and the app will take care of the rest. It will automatically -
DoMyShoot offers a reliable alternative for creating high-quality jewelry images in no time. This AI-powered solution also powers large-scale visual creation.
If this interests you, get in touch with us. We’ll help you figure out how DoMyShoot can simplify your product photography workflow.
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