Jewelry Photography Kits: Recommended by Expertsin 2024

Photographing small gems, mirrorless stones and tiny jewels is hard and to solve this problem you need to have the proper jewellery photography kit for getting the job done well. Here’s a list of the gear you will need to produce the great quality of photos or to make your own home studio for $1200 (including camera, lens, lighting, tripod, etc.).

Ten years ago, I started with a DIY small studio for shooting cheap products for eBay and Amazon at home. Today I’m working as an ecommerce photographer for popular jewelry brands, designing portfolios and listings for their marketing campaigns.

If you are a jewelry seller, especially for you, I have gathered a list of necessary things for your own jewellery photography kit.

You need different jewelry photography kits for different types of shooting. Thus, sometimes you only require a regular smartphone with a camera and a table near the window, while other situations require professional gear that costs several thousand dollars.

There are no strict characteristics your camera should have to take jewelry photos. Take any entry-level DSLR or mirrorless camera. It is also a great idea to buy a camera for macro photography to take images of tiny items.

Very often, even with the best jewelry photography props, your photos of rings aren’t clear-cut. Mainly, DSLR enables you to regulate shutter speed, aperture, and other settings according to the shooting environment and photo goals.

Start your career with Canon Rebel SL3, because it's the best camera for jewelry photography for beginners. Value your money and don’t spend them on more expensive cameras, which have many functions unnecessary for shooting jewelry.

The Pentax KF is a great entry-level DSLR camera with some impressive features. Firstly, it's weather-sealed, so you don't have to worry about shooting in different conditions. The phase detection autofocus system is fast and precise, making it easier to capture those perfect jewelry shots. Plus, it can shoot high-definition video, which is a nice bonus.

One of the standout features of the KF is the ability to use different lenses. You can use both new autofocus lenses and vintage manual-focus glass without needing an adapter. This gives you a lot of versatility and options when it comes to your photography.

First off, the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 is a camera that allows you to capture high-resolution images. This is great for jewelry photos as it ensures that your photos will showcase all the intricate details of the pieces. Plus, the camera is very user-friendly, making it easy for both beginners and experienced photographers to use.

One of the standout features of the SL3 is its improved battery life, especially when shooting through the viewfinder. This is a huge plus as it saves you time and money in the long run. You won't have to constantly worry about running out of battery during your shoots.

The most important feature for jewelry photos is the camera's megapixel count, and the Rebel T7 delivers in this department with its high-resolution sensor. It produces sharp and detailed images, perfect for showcasing the intricate details of gems. Additionally, its advanced phase-detection autofocus system ensures that your shots are focused accurately, even in low-light conditions.

Another advantage of the Rebel T7 is its user-friendly design. It's a great camera for amateur photographers, as it has a large LCD screen and intuitive controls that make it easy to navigate and adjust settings. Plus, it has a fast autofocus system, which is crucial when working with small objects like jewelry.

The iPhone 13 Pro is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones on the market, and it's a solid choice as a part of a jewelry photography kit. It boasts a powerful chipset, a stunning display, and an excellent camera.

The larger sensor and faster aperture allow it to capture more light, resulting in accurate and detailed images, especially in controlled lighting conditions. One standout feature is the "Macro mode," which lets you capture incredible details without the need for an external macro lens.

It boasts a high-resolution 24.2-megapixel sensor without an optical low pass filter, which means you'll get incredibly sharp and detailed images. The EXPEED 3 image processor ensures minimal noise and distortion, giving you the best possible image quality. It's a fantastic camera for jewelry photography, with a range of shooting options and useful accessories.

One of the standout features of this jewellery photography equipment is its autofocus system. It uses contrast-detection autofocus, with options like AF-A and AF-F modes. AF-A locks onto your subject when you press the button, while AF-F tracks the subject as it moves. This makes it easier to capture the intricate details of your jewelry pieces.

In terms of image quality, the 90D boasts a 32.5 Megapixel CMOS sensor and Digic 8 Image Processor, delivering stunningly sharp and detailed shots. It also offers a wide range of shooting modes and an excellent autofocus system, ensuring you capture those intricate details of your jewelry pieces.

Battery life is another strong point of the 90D. Its rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery can shoot approximately 1800 photos before needing a recharge. This is more than enough for most projects and ensures you won't run out of juice in the middle of a shoot.

The D850 offers top-notch image quality with its impressive resolution and low noise levels at high ISO. The camera also has a flip-out touchscreen and programmable buttons, making it easy to navigate and customize settings. And the dynamic range is excellent, allowing you to capture a wide range of tones in your jewelry shots.

One of the standout features of the D850 as a part of jewelry photography equipment is its image stabilization. This helps eliminate camera shakes and reduce reflections, giving you sharper and clearer images. It's a real game-changer when it comes to capturing those intricate details in jewelry pieces.

In terms of its main characteristics, the X-T5 is a powerhouse. It has a 40MP sensor and up to 7 stops of image stabilization, ensuring sharp and detailed images. It can shoot high-resolution uncompressed raw files at up to 15fps or compressed raw at up to 20fps with the electronic shutter.

The camera features a 3.2-inch, 1.84m-dot LCD screen with a 3-way tilt mechanism, which is perfect for shooting from low or high angles. The body is made of magnesium alloy and weatherproofed, making it durable and capable of withstanding various conditions. It also has a comfortable grip, even when using large telephoto lenses.

Sony a7 III provides a new quality autofocus which is so necessary for photographing small items such as rings, earrings, necklaces, etc. The A99V features a 24-megapixel sensor and combines very good image quality with a high degree of camera customization and an ergonomic design.

Another great feature is the camera's ability to be operated in a completely silent mode using the electronic shutter. This is a big plus for jewelry photographers who need to work in quiet environments. However, it's important to note that there is a blackout time during capture when using the electronic shutter.

Autofocus is essential for jewelry photos, and the S5 doesn't disappoint. Its autofocus system is well-suited for this genre of work. Additionally, the camera offers a wide range of lens options, making it easy to find the perfect lens for your specific needs.

Another great advantage of the Lumix S5 is its ability to create high-quality JPEGs. These images are easy to edit and will make your jewelry look stunning. Plus, the camera provides various color profiles, including Leica black and white, adding depth and making your photos stand out.

What is the best lens for shooting products – macro or non-macro? A macro lens 85–100mm range or a set of extension tubes that enable your lens to shoot macro images is the best choice.

If you want to get a big picture of a tiny product, you’d better choose macro lenses. Due to the fact that some lenses are better than others, you have to be attentive to such moments as macro focus range and minimal focus distance, which are indicated with every lens, as your camera is quite close to the product.

You can take very precise and detailed macro shots from a distance of several steps, because the focal length of this lens allows you not to see the gleam or shadows from the camera and the lens. With this lens, you will be very comfortable taking photos even in natural light, which is very convenient for beginning photographers.

It focuses down to a 1:1 magnification ratio at a closest working distance of 12.3 inches. The lens comes with a hood adapter, lens hood, and front and rear lens caps.

This lens offers a versatile 3-group floatation system that gives you the ability to take high-quality snapshots of small objects at almost any focal length, and this is a godsend for novice photographers.

One interesting feature is the lens's ability to stabilize images even when the camera is tilted. This can be particularly useful when shooting close-ups of jewelry pieces.

Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED has one of the best features for a beginner photographer. It can instantly change the focus automatically without changing the length of the lens itself.

This model is specially designed for close-up and macro photography. The focal length of the lens is 105 mm, minimum focus distance for this model is 10 ft. (0314 m).

The kit includes a wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, and a macro lens, giving you a variety of options to suit your specific photography needs. This variety allows you to capture different perspectives and details of your jewelry.

The macro lens offers excellent image clarity and close-up focus, allowing you to capture intricate details of jewelry pieces with ease. Additionally, the clip and storage bag provided make it convenient to carry and protect the lenses while on the go.

This lens offers a decent range of focal lengths that allow you to get close to your subjects without disturbing them. It's also got a good zoom range, so you can capture images from a distance while still maintaining sharpness.

In terms of size and weight, it's relatively compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry around. The optics on this lens are excellent for its price, producing high-quality images for both jewelry and landscape photos.

First off, I have to say that this lens is quite stunning. Sigma really impressed the photography world with its design and build quality. It's a mid-sized lens that feels solid and even has weather-sealing, which is great for outdoor shoots.

One of the biggest advantages of this lens is its wide aperture of f/1.4. This allows a lot of light to reach your camera's sensor, making it perfect for shooting in low-light conditions.

One standout feature of this lens is its built-in image stabilization, which is quite rare for an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens. This stabilization helps to reduce camera shake and ensures sharper images. The lens also has a fast-constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range, allowing for great low-light performance and depth of field control.

In terms of image quality, I was very impressed. The lens produced sharp results from f/2.8 all the way to the extreme corners, regardless of the focal length. This is not something you typically find in the lenses of this class, and it makes it suitable for a variety of photography genres.

This lens is the lightest and smallest 300mm lens on the market, which is a huge plus when you're working with delicate jewelry pieces. It's also equipped with a Phase Fresnel element, ED glass, and Nikon's Nano Crystal Coat, all of which contribute to outstanding optical performance and reduced chromatic aberration.

Handling-wise, this lens is excellent. The Vibration Reduction (VR) system works really well, and the lens remains incredibly sharp even when shooting at its widest aperture.

First and foremost, Sigma's Art series lenses are renowned for their exceptional sharpness, making them a fantastic choice for product, portrait, and food photographers. They also produce stunning bokeh effects, thanks to their wide aperture, which allows for ample natural light. This means you can minimize glare and chromatic aberration in your images.

The lens features a coreless DC motor for autofocus, making it fast and quiet. Additionally, the large, smooth focus ring allows for manual focusing if desired. The build quality of the lens is excellent, as expected from Sigma's premium optics, and it even comes with weather resistance, making it suitable for various shooting conditions.

I have found that this lens performs exceptionally well on both full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras. It produces good clarity towards the edge of the frame, which is crucial in capturing the intricate details of jewelry.

In terms of construction, the lens is a combination of plastic and metal, making it durable and able to withstand regular use and travel. The lens comes with a dedicated lens hood and a soft case for added protection.

This photography type involves taking pictures of items that don’t move, that is why you need to set your camera at one point and already shoot the product from different angles with small changes in camera position.

What do professional photographers use to stabilize the camera? Typically, they use carbon fiber tripods. Many people know the photo stands, which operate on the same principle as the tripods, but are more cumbersome.

In addition, the camera stands can be more expensive and more often cost from $500. If you don’t want to waste a huge amount of money, then my advice for you is to purchase an aluminum tripod. Such tripods can even hold large, heavy cameras.

One of the standout features of the Element MII is its outstanding stability and reliability in the field. The sturdy aluminum spider with patented leg angle selectors provides excellent support, ensuring your shots are steady and focused. The ergonomic locks on the legs lock firmly and quickly, allowing for instant setup, so you can focus on capturing the perfect shot.

AmazonBasics 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod is such an affordable accessory that costs only about $35. This model is a lightweight tripod with adjustable-height legs and rubber feet that will be suitable for any type of camera, smartphone, or even GoPro.

One of the standout features of the Camrola Tripod is its versatility. It comes in different sizes, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your needs. Whether you're shooting still images or capturing jewelry in motion, this tripod can handle it all. It also helps achieve precise framing, which is essential in jewelry photography.

Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB is about $140. With this tripod, you can shoot at 25, 50 and 80 degrees, as well as try out other, more extreme angles, if your shooting requires jewelry.

This tripod is one of the most lightweight options, but at the same time it is convenient to transport and move. However, be careful, if you use a massive technique, for example, lenses with a large zoom, you need to hedge with additional fixation.

It is a great option at a moderate price. If you compare this model with other kinds of tripods, it can withstand more weight without reinforcing the structure and increasing the overall weight of the device.

Manfrotto MVT502AM is an aluminum 3-section tripod. The telescopic strut helps precisely set the angles of the legs. Locks securely fix legs in a folded position, and the spike tips are designed to lock them onto uneven surfaces. You can use the tripod with a variety of trolleys.

Manfrotto MT057C4-G 057 is a tripod that professional photographers choose for their daily work. It is very light and easy to transport, moreover it allows you to maximally conveniently adjust the angle of the shot.

A good rule of thumb is to illuminate the object as much as possible to get a high-quality image. Also, in order to get a snow-white background, you need to prepare a proper studio light kit.

Daylight. A large window may become useful for shooting on eBay and Etsy, because even it can provide you with the necessary amount of light. The only problem is that you can’t regulate this, especially on gloomy days.

Light Bulbs. They can vary in many aspects, which is really awesome. Concentrate on two basic types: traditional or studio.

Traditional Bulbs are common in a household, as they are low-priced and easily obtainable. Having been used properly, they are good for quality e-commerce pictures. There are two main types: glow-lamp and fluorescent.

Studio Bulbs give oscillating luminosity and easy diffuser mounting. Studio lights may be of three kinds: wolfram, photodiode (LED) and florescent (the main advantage is that they are energy-efficient, but it is worth remembering that they are also not bright enough).

Diffusion Sheets. You can place such sheets in front of various lighting devices or simple light bulbs to diffuse the photo lights evenly. The material may be nylon fabric, tracing paper, or matte plastic. In specialized shops, you can find diffusion sheets of numerous formats.

However, there are always a number of things that are worth remembering when you are faced with a choice of lighting. The first thing to look out for is the choice of matching light. If you use light of a certain type, never mix lamps with different lighting temperatures and colors. So, try to us only Fluorescent or LED lights for photography in your studio.

The second aspect is to be careful with the white background and to adjust the expose clearly to the jewelry. The fact is that the white clear background can shade the jewelry itself too much, and it will look underexposed.

If you want a small lightning studio in one device – buy a light box for jewelry photography. You can quickly fix the light and regulate it as you want. In most cases, photo light boxes come with several backgrounds (white, black, and gray). With such equipment and accessories, you can take professional studio photos right at home.

Finnhomy Portable Professional Photo Studio has 3 backdrops included. One of the most convenient things is the ability to open a light box from the side, convenient to you or from above. It is famous for its sturdy construction.

The light box is of average size. It has 24 inches LED lights, a tumbler, and a dimmer control. The material is a lasting-molten plastic, so the product is really durable. Thanks to the glare shields, you will have no glares in pictures.

AmazonBasics Portable Photo Studio measures 25'' x 30'' x 25''. High output built-in LED, a front 3-door system, it is so easy to photograph at diverse angles and bring to life various photoshoot ideas.

You will be able to shoot tiny products with no shadow. You will definitely like it! Highly recommended if you shoot for Amazon account.

Fotodiox Pro LED Studio-in-a-Box is built on the basis of a panel of LED lamps, as well as a special diffusion panel, which makes it possible professionally and beautifully to diffuse the light.

This model is incredibly transportable, convenient during the move, because it has its own case. This is a perfect example of jewelry photo box that can be used to photography from above.

This nifty little gadget is an easy-to-use and portable light box specifically designed for smartphone photography. It's shaped like a briefcase and sets up in a flash thanks to its magnetic system. No complicated assembly instructions here!

The lighting system on this baby is top-notch. It's equipped with three daylight-balanced LED strips with dimmers, ensuring you can perfectly match the lighting of your product with its background. This means no more distracting reflections or pesky shadows caused by on-camera flash.

2D PhotoBench 100 is a great desktop option for professional photographers. This light box works fine with the cameras of Canon and Nikon models. It uses its functionality almost entirely involved in all areas of photography, from shooting to editing. All you need is simply place the jewelry inside it and use the built-in software to take a picture.

3D MFP is perfect for those photographers who aim to make 360-degree shoots of products. Moreover, this model can create 3D scans. 3D MFP can save photos to multiple file formats. Given the huge functionality of the lightbox manufacturer provides a 90-minute training lesson.

Additional options for this box are reflectors, light diffusers, tent, and a number of background panel options for changing during shooting.

For creative diamond photography, you need to invest in professional equipment, as a regular camera, lens, and lighting kit aren’t enough. You need additional equipment to create interesting effects, such as glare on gold or stones, remove unwanted shadows or add them, place jewelry on special stands, etc.

Reflectors are indispensable for jewelry photography. Relocating them, you can “move” the light and, thus, shift focus on different parts of an object. They also help create interesting effects on metal.

I use a white reflector, but there are different types and some can even change the color of the light.

This white background costs about $50. You may use this 5' X 7' flexible background in a studio or in various locations. One side is black, another one is white. The diameter is 27. Perfect for necklaces shooting.

Even small mirrors can be used perfectly to shoot small rings or earrings. Moreover, you can buy them at any local store at a low price.

Jewelry with dust and hair on it looks awful. Clean the product and the surfaces for a successful shooting with the help of a dust blower. It will help you even clean the screens of your camera and lens, gems, glass objects and other surfaces.

Forget about accidental fingerprints on the products. Use cotton gloves. A simple and convenient solution to arrange and keep your jewelry neat. It usually takes some time to locate items and you probably don’t want your camera to capture fingerprints on jewels and metal.

However, in order to make the picture really professional, you will need some additional photography supplies to give your jewelry the right form. They can be purchased separately or as special ready-made kits, which are sold on many sites, or you can even make them at home.

This jewelry photography kit is about $100. It consists all the necessary number of important photography props. Special acrylic piles, stands for bracelets, watches, rings and earrings, specific reflective plates and much more. I suggest you consider all the necessary additional components for your kit as it is.

Sometimes to hold the background, reflectors, bracelets, etc. you need clips. Thus, your hands are free and you can focus on shooting.

Want to get wonderful reflections, use the crystal clear acrylic tiles. You will need an open frame or double weight to hang in-the-air items for creating a stunning floating or even flying look.

Use any kind of fine string to hang or place jewelry right as you want. Use a white or transparent erring holder, and a bracelet round. You can purchase a 1.5 PVC pipe on the inside of the bracelet.

You can also create a reflection in Photoshop in several steps.

If you want to know how to photograph for sale without additional surfaces, first of all, make sure to fix it carefully with a glue gun. The lower the temperature, the better effect. It dries in a matter of seconds and is perfect for different purposes. You can bond paper, ribbon and light fabrics.

How to photograph earrings if they are so tiny? Use an earring holder. It aims to hold a pair of earrings and shoot them in the proper angle.

Make the bracelets look gorgeous in photos having used bracelet stands. The holder with a gorgeous design keeps bracelets visible and organized. It has removable sliding boxes on three levels for various pieces of jewelry.

Necklaces can be sometimes too long. You can only shoot them with a special stand. Beautiful velvet display made in a form of a 3D bust for all-around jewelry disposal. It is nice and soft to touch. The background makes the viewer focus on the jewelry. It is 9 inches tall and 7 inches wide.

Even if you have taken cool images during a photo session, you still need to devote time to image editing. You have to master photo editing software, which can be time-consuming. You need to learn a lot of image post-processing techniques and tricks to get really professional results.