Photographing Jewelry

[Pantlandia]

What is the best way to photograph jewelry? I just got a big lot of jewelry with Swarovski Crystals and am trying to figure out the best way to take pictures. I have mostly bracelets, but also some earrings and necklaces. Is it icky to take a picture of someone wearing the bracelet? Does jewelry, in general, photograph better on a black or white background, or some other color? None of it's very expensive, I can probably sell them from $8 to $20. My phone camera is very good (48mp) and has a macro option for close up shots. 

ETA: Best place to sell them? eBay? Poshmark?

Thanks!

[chapeaunoir]

I use the neck of my dressmaker's dummy. If you have a half hollow (I think you do?) you can use that for necklaces. For bracelets you can hang them around the neck of a nice bottle. I hang earrings on the edge of a coffee cup. I don't use live models mostly because maybe 1 in 50 shots I see posted looks half decent, so I'm not going there.

[Emerald_Door]

I've seen jewelry pictures on live models and I think they're a really good idea because they help the buyer understand the scale of the piece. It might result in fewer complaints of "smaller than I expected," which can happen even when you include measurements. I wouldn't show the whole model - just the hand and wrist or the ear and side of the face.  

Here's an example.  These earrings sold for $15,500 and have the kind of picture I recommend. 
www.ebay.com/itm/253542979780

[staytuned]

I see a lot of pictures of earrings and brooches with a coin to show scale, too.

[thekloset]

i used to use a white styrofoam disposable plate--it gives a diffuse white background and really makes the piece itself pop.

include pictures of all marks and clasps and yes, use a coin for scale in at least one picture.

i loved selling jewelry--i could never get enough of the good stuff to make it a primary focus, even in the height of the vintage costume craze!

[Pantlandia]

Thank you everyone. I don't have very many earrings. Mostly bracelets and necklaces, so I can maybe have Isabella be my model for them.

[57roses]

You can buy an inexpensive hand mannequin or find a hand clip art to print and back with foamboard for something to use for next to nothing $$.

A live model like your daughter is fine but depending on the variety of items & colors you have it could get tedious.

I have trouble capturing sparkle & shine on things with sequins, etc. There are diamond or sparkle apps that can add them if needed.

[denise15601]

They are so hard to take pics of, especially the markings. But I have a cheap camera. I took pics on a velvet-covered bracelet box, and even a black spongy piece of something that was inside a bracelet box. It looks all sparkly.

A coin beside the item shows the size.

For pierced post earrings, I stick the post into styrofoam.

Poshmark is ridiculous with the shipping, so eBay, Mercari, Marketplace are my suggestions.

[chapeaunoir]

Jun 8, 2021 12:54:25 GMT Emerald_Door said:

I've seen jewelry pictures on live models and I think they're a really good idea because they help the buyer understand the scale of the piece. It might result in fewer complaints of "smaller than I expected," which can happen even when you include measurements. I wouldn't show the whole model - just the hand and wrist or the ear and side of the face.  

Here's an example.  These earrings sold for $15,500 and have the kind of picture I recommend. 
www.ebay.com/itm/253542979780

That's a pretty professional job - most photos I see don't look like that, unfortunately - if you can get a really nice, smooth hand and wrist for bracelets it helps. Rings, it is almost impossible but that's not in this discussion. 

[zoesam]

I got a necklace display for like $1.99, it's a cheap one, but it works fine. You can get nicer, more rigid ones for under $10. If you're going to do a lot, I would use that. I typically use a coin for scale & personally I would not do live model pics, as the closeups required can show a lot of skin closeups that are not attractive - hairs, bumps, etc.

I don't sell a lot of jewelry, but I've experimented with laying them on cool red rocks in my yard & stuff like that. Never turns out like I envisioned, so now I stick with either a jewelry display or I have an ivory towel & a black towel, that I use as background for many items.

[denise15601]

I used to display necklaces on a black knit dress with a mock turtleneck that was on my manni. But alas, I sold the dress.