Update Garnet Question

[xlent]

So many people on the forum offered encouraging words about having an inexpensive garnet reset in a very fancy setting..and I now have the ring back (didn''t need recutting)
It was the best thing for that garnet. The jeweler reset the stone in such a way that all of the beauty of the gem is revealed. It glows..sparkles..and in incandescent light it has the most delicate red coloring, finer to my eye than ruby.
The question is..this jeweler is a seriously good artist but should I show his wares without asking his permission? I could ask him if I can post pictures of the stone on the forum. I suppose....I would really like to share this quality workmanship and he is honest. He tells me the simple truth and gives me back more quality than my money''s worth!
How do I photograph a ring? I would like to get a photo to show the spectacular sparkle and the flourescent almost redgold color in sunlight, a photo in incandescent light to show the delicate ruby red color and one in dimmer light to show the fiery ember glow of the fantastic coal dark garnet.
I have a good digital camera..Flash? Zoom? suggestions? Or is this a subject that is too complex for the forum? How to photograph rings..?

 

[RevolutionGems]

I can''t imagine why he wouldn''t allow you to recommend his work. In my business (graphic design), referrals are my lifeblood. A recommendation is a million times better than a newspaper ad any day.

That said, if you are concerned, ask him. The worst he can do is say no.

As for photography, your best bet is to set the ring down, point the camera and press the button. Look at the resulting photo and make lighting, flash, position distance changes and shoot again. Lather, rinse repeat. Gem and jewelry photography is an art and the only way to get good at it is to do it over and over an over again.

 

[ma re]

Flash usually brings out the brilliance, but often washes out the colors, while no flash is the other way around - you''ll see much nicer, richer colors, but the sparkle will be lost. How do I know this? I took some photos of my Christmas tree this winter and figured out these simple basics. I bet these "rules" apply well for gemstones too. But in case they don''t, trial and error is your best bet. Looking forward to photos, sounds like a little masterpiece!

 

[Arcadian]

Your best bet is to not use flash, and to use natural light if you have a basic point and shoot. gemstones are something else to photograph, and sometimes colors don''t come out the way we see them in real life.

I can''t think of anyone who wouldn''t want their designs shown, thats money right there! Like revolution, a lot of what I do is by word of mouth, my clients are more than happy to sing my praises (good thing too!) However, if concerned he wont'' want it out there, ask. If you tell him a few thousand people want to see his work, I got a feeling he won''t say no.

-A

 

[chrono]

Most vendors are very flattered and delighted to have free advertising by their clients. As long as the pictures are taken by you with acknowledgement of who created the setting, I don’t foresee any issues.

As for the photography advice, I also concur with everyone else to use natural lighting (sunlight) as it is the easiest method, manually turn the flash off and use the macro setting (tulip icon) for the best pictures. To keep the hands steady for a clear picture, a tripod is highly recommended. If not, lean your arms against a firm surface instead.

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

Easy gemstone photography
1. Get gallon of milk
2. drink gallon of milk and rinse the container
3. Cut the container in half, using the bottom portion of the container to diffuse your lighting.
4. Cut a small hole in the coner of the milk container so you can put your camera into it.
5. Take 2-3 lamps and put one on each side and one above the containerp
6. Place gemstone or ring on the inside and start taking pictures without flash, the lighting should be sufficent to illuminate the gemstone and because it is diffused it should not wash out the color of the stone. Remember to use your macro settings. I often use a piece of tile below my ring or gemstone to give the shots a nice appearence

I got this tip from another forum. I had spent thousands of dollars trying various photography systems before I tried this. This method is super cheap, quick and produces great results. My avatar was shot with this method, not super great quality but very good still for the cost.

 

[xlent]

ALL RIGHT
The milk carton ..The instructions you gave are really clear and easy to follow. I am going to try that. I saw a similiar set up using tin foil lined plastic bowl (upside down) with a hole in the bottom for the camera. The gem, loose or set, was lit by a string of white led lights. but I think diffused light from a milk container would be better.
New hobby..photographing gems!

I am not certain that the jeweler wants more business. He has been in business here for many years and is the "town jeweler." Also, he might get very busy soon. I liked this garnet but most of the time, in the other setting, it had an occasional flash, sometimes a bit of (mostly surface) color, and in dim light..a dusty red. Now that the stone has the color from the interior shining through in all lighting situations..Most people who saw this stone before..in sleep mode..now want Garnet.

When I was a child, I remember men wearing snowy white dress shirts. And big, gold ..with what looked like hemitite, jet or onyx black stones, rings, cuff links and tie tacs. Then the man would move his hand or his arm and the dark stone would glow and sparkle in amazing shades of red. Garnet is a beautiful but very subtle stone. When it is properly cut/set or whatever magic good lapidary or goldsmith artists work on the garnet..suddenly..everyone sees RED and wants it. I never thought I would see a stone that would put diamond in the shade but good, well set garnet..really flashy!

 

[Stone Hunter]

I''m glad your reset turned out so beautifully. I am envious that you have such a skilled local jeweler!

Gem photography is quite tricky and some PSers master it more easily than others. I look forward to your photos!

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

A gallon of orange juice might work better because those cartons are clear. I have not tried that yet so maybe try both and see which one works better. Good luck!

 

[xlent]

The jeweler is not working this weekend but I will ask him if I can post his business name. To me, it is a internet privacy issue. I never post anyone''s name or anything about a real person on the internet without permission. So ..That Said..

Jim :
I assume you are talking about the 1 gallon plastic jugs or are you talking about the wax cartons?
I used a small plastic cup, cut the bottom off and the camera fit right onto that rim...I used flashlights, LED white, then a regular bulb and even natural sunlight.
I posted a picture of the diamond..The diamond was the only picture worth posting although I took many. It is posted on the thread First Try Gem Photo..as it is a change of topic.
Many of the pictures I took were not good because..I had the camera set wrong or it tipped or the ring fell over or the hand of the camera operator was between the light source and the gem...
It is very difficult to photograph small things. These gems look so big but take them off ..set them down and try to find them in the lens..
It was FUN..and I learned one thing from the one good picture that I have...I learned what you mean by "diffuse lighting" I think..how to light a small shiny object evenly and well in every nook and cranny..
Thanks for the advice..I am building my "milk carton" studio" and taking more photos today.

 

[xlent]

I asked if I could post the name and the Jewelers name is Mark Sherwood, Sherwood Jewelers, Cottonwood AZ.
He is the Town Jeweler..a bench jeweler/goldsmith..making and selling to friends and neighbors for years. He is known for absolute honesty, excellent workmanship and high quality at affordable prices. Anything you want or need, a high school ring, an engagement ring for two modest income working kids..a mother''s day gift for mom..or high end custom designed jewelery for the Sedona Big Rocks folks.
Cottonwood is the hub of the Rock Hounds of the World..Tuscon gem show, Quartszite, Navajo Turquoise. Rocks are The Hobby in this area. Mark is known as the best in this area. I don''t bother to get an itemized list or written estimate or appraisal from Mark although he will gladly supply it and might insist if he doesn''t know you..He is absolutely Honest..and will tell you the simple truth..nothing more or less. I hand the jewelry over or tell him what I am looking for or want..and get it back..quality added..more than my money''s worth.

 

[cellentani]

Darn, every time I visit this thread, I think there will be pics. I''m starting to feel foolish, lol.

 

[xlent]

Darn..I am building my milk carton studio as fast as I can..I am taking pictures and will post them soon..

 

[Hest88]

Date: 2/20/2010 10:52:07 AM
Author: xlent
The jeweler is not working this weekend but I will ask him if I can post his business name. To me, it is a internet privacy issue.

Looking forward to seeing the ring. I''m also glad you finally posted the jeweler''s name. I can''t imagine there would be an internet privacy issue with a *business* referral. It''s advertisement for them. There''s as much of a privacy issue as there would be with a Yellow Pages ad.

 

[xlent]

Just an old lump of coal..but I''m going to be a diamond someday!

 

[xlent]

Thanks for Looking!

 

[xlent]

I love garnet..wish the pictures showed the sparkle better and the pomegrante/cranberry red color but I am getting a glare. I will keep practicing my photo work

 

[chrono]

Ooh....pictures.

Xlent, try taking pictures from different angles to see which way is the best to avoid that glare. Move yourself around, sometimes, with the sun behind you and sometimes with the sun in front of you, sometimes in the shade, etc. Play around with it until you get a feel for which "position" is the best for you and your stone. Taking pictures in the shade on a bright sunny day seems to work best for most people.

 

[xlent]

Chromo Thanks!
I was in bright sun and those were the best shots..The stone was reflecting rather than refracting, only caught the sparkles.. I will move to the shade and keep working on it..That stone is pomegrante and much brighter than the photos show..Pomegrante is my favorite fruit and it would be nice to capture that color in a picture
I will keep photo-ing and picture-ing
I didn''t want to post less than perfection but people wanted to see some idea of what it looked like..I will shoot a bunch of pictures..without posting them for a few days and post the best when I get some really good shots to show off..

 

[xlent]

OK..This is desaturated. The original photo was very dark. This is closer to real life but with more sparkle. Not as much glare though..I will keep working on good pics

 

[ma re]

I''m sure these photos don''t do your garnet justice, but it sure is a nice ring design!

 

[cellentani]

Thanks for the pics xlent! Gem photography is more difficult than most people think, but you''re off to a good start. I know how frustrating it is to not capture the colors you see in person! Your ring design is very unique - quite a change from the lightweight setting you mentioned in your other thread! Sounds like you have a terrific jeweler to work with, and if you''re starting to get into colored stones, that will be priceless. I''ll keep checking back for more pics, just in case!

 

[Hest88]

Thanks for posting! I do love that deep garnet red!

 

[xlent]

Hest88
Me Too! And thank you all for your very thoughtful and considerate responses!


I posted a bit more on this post previously and I am now removing it. I have read a few pages on the internet and suddenly..I seem to think I am an expert on gems and garnets...but I thought better of it.

Meanwhile..I am trying to figure out how to photograph in dim light without the flash..and experimenting with the flash

 

[Kismet]

Very neat looking setting. Just curious, do the sides of the semi bezel ever get caught on things?

 

[xlent]

Kismet
I requested that the ring not catch on anything, that the stone was protected and that I could wear the ring 24/7.
I wondered about the "blades" of the bezel when I first saw it but I have worn it for a while and it doesn't catch on anything. The inset diamonds look like delicate filagree but the inset piece is thicker than it looks and the settings are rock solid.
I have a diamond ring that Mark made over 20 years ago with very delicate pave and the settings are strong, bright and solid as the day the ring was picked up.
The ring should last..without bending or breaking.. In this town, if you bought something 25 years ago and it breaks..It is under warranty according to the buyer so good quality and lasting workmanship are part of a good name.
BTW..sometimes people mistake me in my meanings...because I am not a very clear writer..so I will clarify...I never meant to infere that Mr. Sherwood was a propriatory property of the town. I meant he is a good jeweler for any one and everyone who needs or wants his services. Sherwood's is friendly, helpful and welcome new customers.