How can I capture both sparkle and detail when photographing jewelry?

Question

I have some shiny stone studded bangles and diamond rings.
I want to capture both the "sparkle" as well as the "fine details" of the rings and the bangles at the same time.

The problem is that to get the sparkle, I raise the shutter speed which darkens the total scene, and thanks to the zoom lens the aperture can't be lowered beyond 5.6 (in my point and shoot camera with noisy ISO).

In overall, it gets all dark.

How to photograph sparkling jewelery? Which lights to use in which way?

Even if I get a 1.4F prime lens will that be enough? Or is there some factor which needs to be taken care of?

Also, I want the fine details of the ring design preserved, so won't 1.4F be a problem?

Answer

• You'll want some depth of field, so I wouldn't consider an f/1.4 lens. You'll probably want f/8 or f/11 anyway to get the entire item in focus.

• Camera on a tripod for maximum sharpness and to allow for longer exposures if required.

• Diffuse light from both sides - use a light tent, softboxes, or bounce flash off large white boards/reflectors to provide the main light which should be nice and even

• For a little sparkle, have a small light/flash near the camera (just above or a little to one side) This will produce a "hard" light that will reflect back at the camera.

• It's common to use something like a 70-200mm zoom for product and food photography, but a 50mm can do the job

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