How to Photograph Jewelry for an Online Store

Set up a light box

A light box is a translucent enclosure that spreads light evenly, so you get fewer harsh shadows and hot spots. A store-bought one is inexpensive, and a homemade box made from a cardboard carton and white tissue paper works too.

• Place two lights on opposite sides, aimed at the diffusing walls rather than straight at the piece.
• Avoid fluorescent light, which can leave a yellow cast. Indirect window light is fine.
• Use a white or light grey backdrop. A matte surface also reduces reflections.

Handle reflections on shiny metal

Polished gold, silver and steel reflect everything around them, so the reflections, more than the light, decide how the piece looks. Move the lights and the white shapes until the reflections look clean, and check each change through the viewfinder.

• Place simple white shapes, such as a folded white card or a paper tube, near the piece to give an even bright reflection instead of dark patches.
• Keep your own shadow and the camera out of the reflections, and shoot from a tripod.
• For silver on white, a light grey card behind the piece stops it blending into the background.

Shoot close, sharp and steady

Jewelry needs close detail. A macro lens or extension tubes let you fill the frame with a stone or a clasp, and many phones have a macro mode that works well for small pieces.

• Put the camera on a tripod, level with the piece, and use a timer or remote so pressing the shutter does not blur the shot.
• Use a mid-to-small aperture, around f/8 to f/11, to keep a ring or necklace sharp from front to back. Sources disagree on the exact number, so test your own camera.
• If a piece is still soft at the back, take several frames at different focus points and stack them in editing software.
• Shoot in RAW if your camera allows it, so the white balance can be fixed later.

Pick a background and keep one look

A plain white background is the safe choice for an online store, and it works for every type of jewelry. For rings and earrings, stand the piece up and light it from slightly above and behind, so a soft shadow shows it resting on the surface rather than floating.

• Use the same backdrop, light and framing for every product, so the shop looks like one shoot.
• Check the marketplace or store rules for the main image before you shoot, since some require a pure white background.

Edit with restraint

• Set the white balance so silver reads silver and gold reads gold, not yellow or blue.
• Remove dust and fingerprints, which show more on metal and stones than on fabric.
• Do not retouch stones or metal to look bigger or brighter than they are. Buyers return pieces that look different in person.

Take the shots every piece needs

• A full front view on the plain background.
• A close-up of the stone or the key detail, such as the clasp, the setting or an engraving.
• A side or back view for hinged, two-sided or layered pieces.
• A scale shot next to a coin or a ruler, so buyers can judge the size.