Jewelry Photography Props to Use on Your Next Photoshoot

Product photography isn’t always about the product – take jewelry, for instance. While your jewelry against a plain white background is always best for things like catalogs and product pages, a couple of creative shots of your jewelry can help with your branding and aesthetic, as well as help your customers have an idea of what your jewelry can look like up close. In this case, you’ll have to use jewelry photography props the next time you shoot a creative photography session.

You can find many props for your jewelry photography that won’t break your budget while still emphasizing the luxury and beauty of your product. Here are some of the props you can use. These props are inexpensive and won’t get in the way of highlighting the product or affecting jewelry retouching or jewellery editing in post-production.

Jewelry Boxes

Using your business’ packaging kills two birds with one stone: you can use it both as a prop that adds context to your jewelry and as a way to showcase your branding in one image. This is why, in this case, it’s important to have good packaging for your business that can add to your image’s visual appeal.

For example, if the product you want to shoot is an engagement ring, taking a photo of the ring inside a jewelry box makes a lot of sense. On top of adding your branding to your image, your image sells more than just a product. Your image can allude to that moment when they pop the question and present their ring to their partner, helping them visualize what it will look like when they present the ring. 

This isn’t helpful for engagement rings alone. Displaying your jewelry with the case or box it comes in can provide more context about what the product can look like. This can touch customers looking to buy jewelry as a gift.

Themed Props

Not all jewelry photography props have to be very minimalist and used in a white background. One way to reach out to your customer base is to sell a story rather than a product, and creative product photography can tell a story with visuals rather than words. By curating the setting and props around your jewelry, your images can help customers visualize themselves using that jewelry within a certain moment.

If you’re selling wedding rings, for instance, you can use props like a satin or silk (as a flat lay or backdrop), florals, wedding invitations, lace, and other props associated with weddings. On the other hand, summer or boho-themed jewelry can be shot outdoors with props like sand, shells, wooden items like rattan, and other props associated with the theme of your choice.

Human Models

Not all types of jewelries like necklaces and earrings may complement a person’s natural features, which is why some customers shopping for jewelry online will want to see how it looks on a person. If you can find someone to model your jewelry, you can help customers visualize what your products will look like on them.

For example, there are different lengths when it comes to necklaces such as chokers, collar-length, princess-length, and rope-length. You can simply put the measurements of the necklace on your product listing, but it can be a chore for potential customers to have to measure and then estimate what a necklace will look like on them. Rather than doing this, you can show what a necklace looks like on a model so they’ll get a good sense of what it will look like on them.

Keep in mind, though, that you may also need to retouch some of the model’s features. Any blemishes or spots that take the focus away from your jewelry. Depending on your model, the product you’re shooting, and your aesthetic, the amount of retouching needed for an image can vary.

Pendant Stands

Pendant stands are good jewelry photo props like necklaces and bracelets with pendants you want centered as the focal point of your image. Ideally, we recommend investing on a pendant stand with multiple slots or hooks. Aside from the fact that you can adjust the wideness or narrowness of the shape of your jewelry, you can also easily adjust items like long necklace chains.

There are plenty of pendant stand types for sale online. While it ultimately depends on your preference and your shop’s aesthetic, also consider how well you can retouch your image with your pendant stand in the shot. A necklace pendant stand that’s shaped like a neck a chest and lined with black velvet is a classic choice, but the color of the stand can affect lighting and make it difficult to edit out post-production. For a more versatile choice, choose a white or transparent pendant stand.

Dangling Earring Stand

Unlike stud earrings that can be presented flat or in a box, dangling earrings are best displayed when it’s, well, dangling. This can give your customers a good idea what it looks like when used. You can find several online sellers and shops that sell special earring stands that only hold one pair or dangling earrings. From there, you can either opt to leave the stand in the photo and make a few retouches, or you can have the entire stand erased out of the photo and leave the earrings dangling on its own after post-production.

Alternatively, you could also use an earring stand that can hold multiple earrings, but keep in mind that this can take the focus away from a singular product. If you have a collection of earrings or want to try a creative shot, you can try playing around with your props until you get the aesthetic that works best for you.

Bowls

It might seem like an odd jewelry photography prop to use, but keep in mind that not all props need to be seen in the final image. If you’re having a hard time shaping your jewelry’s chain into a perfect circle, put a bowl upside down on a flat surface and use it to shape your jewelry. From there, you can either carefully take the bowl out (though be careful as it could ruin the shape you’ve already created) or just edit out the bowl in post-production.

For this prop, we recommend a metal, white, or transparent bowl, as these can be easier to retouch out of your image while minimizing the effect your prop has on lighting. Aside from removing the visible bowl, you’ll also need to erase its shadow and tweak some of the affected areas of your image.

Improve Your Jewelry Images with the Right Props and Jewelry Retouchers

Adding jewelry photo props for your creative product photography sessions can take your images to the next level and attract more potential customers. While commercial product photography best works with a plain image that focuses on your jewelry, advertising and marketing your jewelry with different types of products can highlight the luxury and style your products can bring.

Whether or not you add props to your product images, jewelry retouching is an essential step at producing top-notch product images. At Jewelry Retouchers, our team understands the delicate balance and skill needed to bring out the best features in your images. Get in touch with us today to see how our services can make all the difference and let your products shine.