Twenty Assignments to Build Your Portfolio: #8 Jewelry
Diamonds, rubies, and sapphires... oh my!
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This is part six of a 20-week workshop. The assignments will be given on each Monday until the end of the year.
I hope that they will get your creative juices flowing and inspire you to build images and your portfolio. Imagine having twenty (or more) new images for your book by January 2026.
THE BRIEF:
As the old song goes, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” Whether that is true or not is really a subject to be taken up on Facebook – or heaven forbid, Twitter!!!… LOL.
But for this assignment, that is JUST the headline for the ad you are going to shoot. It is for a local jewelry store and the designer wants to have it KICK BUTT in the two local magazines you are going to shoot it for.
So, first up, to make this really valuable, you will research at least two of your local magazines for LOCAL ads for jewelry shots. Analyze them.
1. What makes them work?
2. What can you do to make yours better?
You can make a better shot, right.
Cause if you can’t, why would anyone want to work with you.
This specific kind of research is so valuable it cannot be underrated or ignored.
Specifics:
A vertical ad, full-page, color.
The designer wants the jewelry to stand out from whatever background or surface you choose. Unfortunately, she will not be able to be on the set with you, so she sent some images that she likes over to a Pinterest page she shared with you.
Lighting ideas:
Overall Goal
Every shot must elevate the piece. The viewer should immediately understand two things:
This jewelry is premium.
It belongs on them.
Style & Tone
Keep it clean, sophisticated, and intentional.
Lighting should sculpt the metal and gemstones, not overpower them. Avoid harsh reflections and blown highlights.
Shadows should whisper, not shout, controlled but present.
Color balance must feel natural; warmth adds life but never let it drift into yellow.
Composition & Emotion
Think tactile. The viewer should feel the weight of gold, the chill of silver, the clarity of a gem.
Focus on detail and precision; small imperfections will scream louder than you think.
For lifestyle shots: elegance through gesture, not props. Avoid clichés—no champagne flutes or perfume bottles. Let skin, fabric, and light tell the story.
For product shots: minimal background, strong contrast between jewelry and surface. Negative space is your friend—it gives luxury room to breathe.
Deliverables
Hero shots for web banners (horizontal)
Vertical compositions for social and print
Detail macros for texture and craftsmanship
We want images that make the viewer pause mid-scroll and imagine the weight of the piece in their hand. Understated confidence. Visual seduction without a heavy hand.
1. At the Core
Photographing jewelry is about light behavior, not necessarily the jewelry itself. Your job is to make metal glow and gems shine.
Think reflection and refraction.
Keep asking yourself: “Where is the light coming from, and what is it saying?”
2. Key Light
Type: Soft, directional light—large source, close in.
Modifier: 2×3 softbox, scrim, or diffused panel.
Goal: Define form without harsh speculars. You’re shaping curves, not frying eggs.
Tip: Feather the light—never aim it directly at the jewelry. Let the edge of the beam do the work.
3. Fill Light
Type: Subtle bounce or reflector (white foam core works fine).
Goal: Lift shadows just enough to maintain detail in darker metals or gemstone facets.
Avoid: Flat lighting. Jewelry needs dimensional contrast—keep that “pop” between highlight and shadow.
4. Accent / Edge Light
Purpose: Add a spark—literally. Use a narrow-beam light or snoot to catch the gem’s edge or the metal’s rim.
Placement: Behind or above, slightly off-axis from camera.
Trick: Move it in millimeters. The right sparkle is a whisper, not a scream.
5. Background & Surface Light
Keep background lights independent of jewelry lighting.
Backlight translucent surfaces like frosted glass or acrylic to create subtle gradients.
Dark backgrounds? Add a hairline rim or kicker to keep metal edges from disappearing.
6. Managing Reflections
Jewelry is a mirror. Everything in the studio is part of your lighting design.
Build a tent with white cards or diffusion to create clean reflections.
Use black cards (flags) to add contrast and definition on metal edges.
Control is everything—avoid chaotic reflections that distract from the design.
7. Gems & Stones
Diamonds: Use small, hard lights for pin-point sparkle—but balance them with softer fill to avoid harshness.
Colored Gems: Treat like translucent objects; light through them when possible. Use white or neutral backdrops to preserve hue accuracy.
8. Polarization
Use a circular polarizer on your lens and one on the light source (cross-polarization setup).
This reduces glare on glass, enamel, and metal—but don’t overdo it. A little reflection keeps the piece alive.
9. Color Temperature
Keep it between 5200K–5600K for consistency.
Avoid mixed lighting; jewelry exaggerates color shifts.
White balance each setup, not just once per session.
10. Final Notes
Think of jewelry like portrait subjects: each one has a “best side.” Find it.
Keep moving the light until the piece looks expensive. This is usually a sparkling jewel, and bright metallic reflections.
If it looks flat, move the light. If it looks cheap, clean up your reflections.
Assignment One
Assignment Two
Assignment Three
Assignment Four
Assignment Five
Assignment Six
Assignment Seven
Assignment Eight
TRANSFORM YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
And find your passion… fast.
Did you know that I guarantee my mentoring?
Yep, I guarantee you will earn enough to cover the mentoring, or we will continue till you do. Who else does that? I do it because I damn well know I can make it happen.
It’s time to get serious with your photography and your business. Changes are coming fast and furious and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. Know that there is a path to follow for finding your freedom and building a creative business. Let me guide you.
Find out how I can help, and help fast, here.
If you’re over 40 and still hungry to make, build, and create, stick around. This space is for people who aren’t done yet (and never will be). I’ve got five decades of wins, failures, comebacks, and creative battles under my belt, and I’m sharing everything that still works—and burning the rest.
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