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Lights, Camera, Jewelry: Happy World Photography Day

In celebration of all things photography, discover four great items for taking your jewelry photos to the next level

Every year, on August 19, we celebrate all things photography: the art, the craft, the science, and the history of this beloved medium.

As an industry, we have much to thank photography for. After all, perfectly captured jewelry photos can drive unprecedented traffic to your store or site, help you tell your brand’s story, land you a spotlight on a prestigious website, and more.

For this year’s celebration, we’re diving briefly into the history of World Photography Day and then highlighting a few Stuller products that will make jewelry photography a breeze for you.

Why August 19?

In 1837, Frenchmen Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicéphore Niépce changed the world with the invention of the daguerreotype, the first publicly available photographic process. Two years later, the French Academy of Sciences unveiled this new invention to the world.

Although others would go on to improve photo processes of the time — such as Thomas Sutton, who took the first color photograph in 1861 — it’s Nicéphore Niépce whom history now knows as the Father of Photography.

Okay, but back to the question: why August 19?

Because August 19, 1839, was when the French Academy of Sciences gifted the daguerreotype to the rest of the world. In 2010, when World Photography Day was established, August 19 was fitting.

Happy 183rd birthday, photography!

Enhance Your Jewelry Photos

Simply put, photography is integral to industry success. Even if you’re not big on the social media scene, you probably need to take shots of your jewelry for something: appraisals, inventory, repair take-ins, custom job updates, and more.

The good news? Jewelry photography doesn’t have to be your forté, because Stuller makes it easy for any jeweler to up their photo game. When you have a split second to catch someone’s eye, make it count with some of our favorite Stuller-tried-and-tested products:

GemLightbox

Capture ready-to-share, studio-quality images using nothing more than a smartphone with the GemLightbox. With the accompanying phone app, you can edit and upload your photos for use anywhere. All you have to do is place your jewelry inside, point, and shoot.

The result? Beautiful jewelry photos on consistent white backgrounds.

GemLightbox for jewelry photos
Item # 12-1210


GemLightbox Turntable

Get an up-close, 360-degree view at your jewelry with this turntable system, designed specifically to work with the GemLightbox.

The floating arm gives you complete control over adjusting the camera into any desired position, which makes it a breeze to work under.

GemLightbox Turntable for jewelry photos
Item # 12-1211


GemLightbox Aerial Turntable

Shoot photos and videos of hanging earrings, pendants, chains, and watches with the Aerial Turntable. This easy-to-set-up product is a plug-and-play solution that was designed to work inside the GemLightbox.

Gone are the days of photographing jewelry lying down at unflattering angles!

GemLightbox Aerial Turntable for jewelry photos
Item # 12-1212


Gemax Pro-II Digital Microscope — A Stuller Exclusive!

Show customers the raw, crisp beauty of your jewelry, diamonds, and gemstones with the Gemax Pro-II.

This digital microscope makes it easy for you to do a variety of tasks:

  • capture images to download for your files, printing, or social media
  • see girdle inscriptions and engravings for appraisals and customers
  • connect with a USB to enlarge images on a computer or TV monitor
Gemax Pro-II Digital Microscope for jewelry photos
Item # 13-1842

In the age of Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, having amazing visuals is the key to standing out and growing your platform. So, take some time today to learn a new thing about jewelry photography, invest in some new equipment, and get snapping away!

Need a place to get started?

Check out our three-part series on how to master jewelry photography:

And, if you want more great content watch Stuller photographer, Daniel Maldonado, in this one-hour webinar. Here, he discusses how to use a window as your source for natural light, the best surfaces to use, how he shoots gemstones, and more!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alyson Keenze

Former Staff Writer