Top Jewelry Photography Props and Tools in 2023

The Light Cone x Karl Taylor

This incredibly useful 360-degree light modifier hit the market in September 2022, instantly making the lives of product photographers easier, better, and more efficient. Shiny and highly reflective products immediately became quick and easy to photograph just by placing the Light Cone over the product and externally lighting the cone. You don’t even need fancy studio lights. Desk Lamps will work. Say goodbye to distracting glare and hello to flawless jewelry photography.

Tabletop V-Flat

Super versatile as a light modifier as well as a backdrop, Tabletop V-Flats bounce light into the shadow areas of your scene and can also subtract light to create a mood. Tabletop V-Flats come in solid black and white, plus three sizes:  small, medium, and large. Each size is handy in its own way and you’ll especially like the large tabletop V-Flat as a smooth, clean backdrop while photographing hanging necklaces and earrings. 

Get all three sizes of the Tabletop V-Flat here.

We’ve found the perfect jewelry photography tool for you to use while shooting necklaces. The hooks on this jewelry stand offer flexibility in how wide you want the v-shape of the necklace chain, while the overall rectangular shape of the stand has enough clearance for most of your jewelry photography needs at 12.6 inches wide and 13.8 inches tall. Set this stand in front of a Tabletop V-Flat backdrop or white paper sweep and you’re good to go.

Note: If the gold finish casts unwanted color on your scene, spray paint the jewelry stand white.

With a jewelry stand and a backdrop, you’re ready to take photos like this:

Fishing Line & Frame + Clips for Hooked-back Earrings

To invisibly hang earrings with hooked backs, use a medium to large self-standing picture frame with fishing wire clipped or taped horizontally across the frame about a third of the way down from the top. Make sure it’s just the frame without any glass or photographs inside the frame. You’re essentially making a mini clothesline to hang earrings from. If you want to vary the hanging height of each earring, rig two fishing lines, one slightly above the other. Make sure you’ve got a nice, non-distracting backdrop behind the frame and shoot away!

Feel free to DIY another stand to hang the fishing line, but an empty photo frame is usually the quickest and most available item. A thick and sturdy piece of pre-cut mat board for photos can act as a frame as well. And if you don’t have fishing line, try dental floss.

Pro tip if you don’t have a frame that can stand on its own: Create a stable base by snapping an A-clamp on the side (and toward the bottom) of any empty frame and you’ve got yourself a self-standing frame.

Cup or Bowl

This jewelry photography tool is so easy, cheap, and ridiculously effective, we had to place it on this list. For flat lays of delicate necklaces, bracelets or chains, use an appropriately-sized round bowl or cup to shape the jewelry. Don’t waste time using your fingers to shape the tiny links of a necklace when a round piece of kitchenware will do it in two seconds.

Just lay the jewelry on your set, grab a bowl or cup, and place it in the middle of the piece, shifting it around until the chain is perfectly rounded and smooth. Done.

White Cotton Gloves

Give your jewelry the white glove service by taking the time to handle it with soft cotton gloves. It’s a simple step that’ll go a long way toward ensuring your jewelry looks its best. Wearing cotton gloves makes it easy to quickly polish the pieces and keeps the jewelry smudge-free and as eye-catching as possible. The cleaner and prettier your jewelry looks, the better your images will be, which correlates to increased sales.

Dental/Orthodontic Wax or Poster Putty

Use dental wax or poster putty to position rings upright. Just place a small piece of dental wax on the bottom of the ring and set the ring in place. Super simple and looks great. You can even use dental wax to prop up earrings or to keep other types of jewelry in place on set.

Jewelry Photography Props 

These jewelry photography props round out your images and add dimension to the scene.

Now it’s time to let your imagination go free. These jewelry photography props allow your creativity to shine, giving you the chance to play with scale, form, and composition.

Geometric Pieces from Moodelier

You’ll get lost in the world of Moodelier and all the jewelry photography props they have to offer. Their visual designs are perfect for jewelry photographers. You’ll find geometric blocks and shapes of all colors and sizes. So whether you want something simple like their Cube Bundle, something unique like their Arc Bundle, or something completely funky like their Teensy Bundle, your jewelry is guaranteed to stand out with these exceptionally designed photography props.

Florals and Foliage

Dried or fresh, flowers and jewelry are like PB & J. They go together. A quick online search of “jewelry photography” will yield countless images of flowers and plants shot next to rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and more. 

The beauty of using botanicals in your jewelry photography is that you can play with the shadows. The florals don’t even have to make an appearance. Just incorporate their shadow. Use the stems and leaves of a plant to cast designs that add dimension and visual interest to the scene.

Fabric

Fabric is a really easy-to-use and fairly inexpensive jewelry photography prop. Because jewelry is pretty small, you don’t need much fabric and you can grab textiles from around the house. Solid colors work best. Clothing, scarves, throws, cloth napkins, pillow covers, and even wide fabric ribbons are all contenders. Look around and see what catches your eye. Chances are, it’ll work nicely.

Natural Materials — Wood, Stone, Water…

Along with florals and foliage, nature provides timeless surfaces to shoot on: wood, slate, marble, etc. Spritz these surfaces with water for another layer of interest. Your local hardware store will carry a variety of natural stone tile to choose from. Or, take a hike into the woods and fields for materials to shoot on.

Duo Boards

Duo Boards are fantastic if you need a quick way to source a variety of surfaces to shoot on. Instead of looking for a piece of marble, get the Onyx Marble/Alpine Marble Duo Board to photograph your jewelry on. The 24”x24” size is plenty of surface area for your jewelry photoshoots, but if you want a large expanse to play on, get the 30”x40”. The Iced Concrete/Midnight Cement Duo Board is also a super versatile surface that goes well with a variety of jewelry. These boards give you two different surfaces on one lightweight board, making it extremely convenient to shoot jewelry.

Browse the entire line of Duo Boards here.

Reflective Surfaces

Jewelry props like acrylic surfaces and mirrors add an extra flash of brilliance and shine to your jewelry shoots, playing up the already sparkling quality of the gems and precious metals. 

Hand Models and Fashion Models

If you’ve got the budget for it, consider a hand or fashion model to display the jewelry. Adding a human element helps customers envision the actual size of the jewelry and what it might look like on their own body.