Tips for Photographing Jewelry

copyright by Marlize Kasselman

In this article Marlize Kasselman shares her tips to photographing jewelry.

First, and most important of all you need a good digital camera with at least 4 or more mega pixels. Having a macro mode setting is essential for taking good close-up shots of your pieces. Having a good camera can make a huge difference in the quality of your photos...and eventually the sale of your jewelry. Thus, buy the best camera you can afford.

The second most important factor in photographing jewelry is lighting. I prefer shooting outside in natural daylight, although it’s not always possible. Wether you’re shooting indoors or outdoors, use an enclosed light system to avoid shining effects and shadows. A light box, light tent, dome or even a plain white sheet will evenly distribute light over a piece of jewelry. You can easily create your own light box for a fraction of the price of a photo studio.

If you need to shoot indoors, use two light sources with daylight fluorescent bulbs (5000K), which is the closest to natural light. The advantage is that the bulbs don’t heat up too much, and it’s more energy efficient. Set your light stands on either side of your light box to create a diffused, soft light. Instead of using a third light from the front, you can use tin foil sheets that work as reflectors. If you need to photograph pearls, use only one light source to define the round shape of the pearls, otherwise it will appear flat.

Camera settings: (You will need your camera user’s manual for this)

• Use manual mode, which allows you to adjust the settings manually.


• Turn your camera on macro-mode, for taking close-up shots.


• Select spot focus.


• Disable the flash.


• Use a tripod.


• Aperture (f-stops): Set the aperture setting to higher numbers (f8.0-f16.0), where you will get a greater depth-of-field. Low numbers will only let the part of the jewelry closest to the camera be in focus. With higher numbers, more of the picture will be in focus.


• ISO: This refers to the camera’s sensitivity to light. I normally use ISO 200, but you will need to change your setting until you have the effect you desire.


• Exposure setting: When photographing jewelry you want to capture the true color of your jewelry. Low exposure will darken the image, while high exposure will lighten it up too much. Read your camera’s manual to see how to adjust the exposure levels. You have to take a few shots to test what level works best. Below is an example of the different exposure settings.

Apart from making new creations, taking pictures of them has become an enjoyable task!

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