How do you photograph diamond jewelry?

Answer 1

Tabletop Photography is tricky, and catching a diamond's fire is trickier still.

A good studio setup includes the following:

Camera with at least a 100mm macro lens

tripod

light box

three lights

White acrylic sweep or tabletop (other surfaces are fine, but white keeps things simple)

Place the jewelry inside the light box. This will allow diffuse light to illuminate the objects, so you don't get hot spots or distracting reflections.

Set your key light (primary light source) above and to the front right of the jewelry, so that the light shines through the tent (about 4 o'clock position, but you can experiment); set your fill light to the left and side of the light box.

Put your camera on the tripod, and set a third light (preferably with a snoot, to create a narrow light) as close to your lens as possible. Adjust the light so it hits the facets of the diamond and refracts light to create a sparkle.

You can also try using a specialty light that has multiple tiny bulbs placed close together.

It's best to use professional studio lights, either strobe or hot lights (most pros use strobes). If you use hot lights, be careful not to set your lights too close to the lightbox, or you could start a fire.

Studio photography requires a thorough understanding of lighting. You may want to watch some videos and read books on the topic before getting started to avoid disappointing results.