How to Take the Best Photos of Your Jewelry in Five Easy Steps!

It’s getting to be that time of year again when those feeds are filled with over-edited engagement and wedding jewelry, blurry bijou de plage, and over-saturated sparklers. If you’ve got it, and you want to flaunt it, don’t you want it to be stunning? But how do you take the best photos of your jewelry?

Photographing jewelry can be tricky, what with all the shine, facets, and size, it’s a challenge no matter how big your rock is. So I sat down with jeweler Luana Coonen to mine her for some expert tips on taking your very own envy-inducing pictures of your bling with your smartphone.

Get That Mani

You’ve got the ring, you want to show it off to the world, and you’re ready to inspire that jelly energy, but your nails look like shit – what to do? Get ye to the manicurist! 

Think about it, if you want the best photos of your jewelry, most likely you’re hands are going to be heavily featured. You don’t want busted nails or dry skin to take the attention away from your dazzler. No time for a mani? Fret not! Lotion up, clean under your nails, and give them a little trim if you’re feeling fancy.

Set the Stage

To best capture your My Precious, you’ll want to find a nice background that’s clean and simple. You’re going to want to find a marble countertop, a non-textured wall, or even a nice cutting board or tile in a pinch. You’ll also want to make sure your background isn’t shiny or reflective, as it will steal the attention away from your baubles.

Get Lit, Naturally

When it comes to getting the best photos of your jewelry, indirect, natural light is your friend. I know, mid-level lighting seems counterintuitive, more light should mean more detail, but when you’re dealing with pieces that have gemstones or natural shine, bright light will steal their luster. Your best bet is to find a window with a good source of indirect sunlight. The softer light will bring out the nuances of your piece, and that, my friends, is what you’re after.

Lights (Window)! Camera (Phone)! Action!

Now that you’ve got yourself all set up with a background and your lighting is all good, it’s time to do the damn thing and start snapping! You’ll want to hold your hand, wrist, dick, whatever, against your background and fire away! As we have all found out through taking selfies, you might take twenty photos and only have two real gems in the bunch, and that’s all good.

You’ll want to make sure your picture is in focus. If that means pulling your phone away to take the picture, it’s all good. You can crop that shit come edit time.

You’ll also want to set yourself up right and make sure that the part of your body you’re your jewelry on is stable and not shaky. Using props to stabilize your body parts helps, so does the self-timer feature on your phone.

Subtle Editing is Your Friend

We’ve all heard that less is more, and in the case of taking the best photos of your jewelry,, it couldn’t be more true. You don’t want to tinker too much with your jewelry glamour shots, as too much editing makes pieces look flat and not great. You’ll want to be very light-handed with the saturation and vibrance levels. However, adjusting the brightness and contrast are ways you can pack a little more punch in your snap.

As far as filters go, the same rules apply – don’t fuck with things too much. However, if you do have some things you want to edit, like a scar, scratch, or smudge, get your paws on the Retouch Remover app. It’s free, and it’ll get you where you need to go.

Whatever your My Precious is, these tips will help get you the best shots of your bling. These tips aren’t just for newly engaged or married folks. They’re for anyone who wants to show off their sparkle to the best effect.

Now that you have these tips to add to your arsenal, get ready for you and your bling to be the envy of all!