Top 5 Tools Used in Jewelry Photo Retouching

Have you ever scrolled past a piece of jewelry online because the photo looked dull or unclear? You're not alone. In the world of e-commerce and social media, a great product photo can be the difference between a sale and a scroll. Jewelry, with its shine, fine details, and intricate textures, needs special attention. A little sparkle from the right angle, a clear focus on a gemstone, or the perfect background can bring life to an image.

But raw photos often fall short of capturing that brilliance.

That’s where jewelry photo retouching comes in. This specialized editing process enhances clarity, color, shine, and detail to showcase each piece at its best. At SR Clipping, we rely on powerful tools to transform ordinary photos into stunning, scroll-stopping visuals. In this post, we’ll break down five essential tools used in professional jewelry photo retouching. Whether you're a photographer, a brand owner, or just curious, these are the tools behind every eye-catching, polished image.

Why it matters: Photoshop is like the Swiss Army knife of editing. It’s powerful, precise, and trusted by professionals across the globe.

What it does for jewelry:

• Dust & Scratch Removal: Jewelry often collects tiny particles. Photoshop’s clone stamp and healing brush make it easy to clean.

• Reflection Control: Metal reflects everything! Use layer masking to control distracting reflections.

• Gemstone Enhancement: Adjust hue and saturation to bring out the natural colors.

Real example: One of our clients sent over a close-up of a diamond ring. It looked flat. Using Photoshop’s Dodge & Burn and Levels adjustments, we made the diamond sparkle like it should.

Why photographers love it: Lightroom is perfect for organizing and batch-editing large sets of photos.

Jewelry-specific uses:

• White Balance Fixes: Make gold look golden and silver stay cool.

• Color Correction: Quickly tweak brightness, vibrance, and saturation.

• Preset Magic: Save your best edits and apply them to future shoots.

Personal insight: We often receive hundreds of product shots. By using Lightroom presets tailored for different metals—gold, silver, rose gold—we can edit fast without sacrificing quality.

Why it stands out: Capture One is known for its superior color handling and RAW processing. That makes it a favorite for high-end studio shoots.

How it helps with jewelry:

• Color Accuracy: Perfect for capturing the true tone of precious metals and gemstones.

• Tethered Shooting: Edit as you shoot—makes real-time adjustments easy.

• Advanced Color Editor: Tweak specific hues without affecting the whole image.

Use case: We worked on a shoot for a sapphire pendant. Using Capture One, we preserved the rich blue tones without washing out the rest of the image. That level of color fidelity is hard to beat.

What’s different: Topaz Labs offers AI-based tools like DeNoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Gigapixel AI. They're simple, fast, and powerful.

Perfect for jewelry because:

• Sharper Focus: Makes tiny gemstones and textures stand out.

• Noise Reduction: Removes grain from close-up shots.

• AI Upscaling: Increases resolution while keeping clarity.

Example from our studio: We had an old catalog image of a gold chain that needed enlargement for print. Gigapixel AI upscaled it smoothly without losing detail. No blurs, no noise—just crisp edges.

Why it’s useful: Jewelry photography often deals with macro shots, which means shallow depth of field. Not everything stays in focus.

Helicon’s superpower: Focus stacking. You shoot multiple photos at different focus points, and Helicon blends them into one sharp image.

Why it’s essential:

• All Details in Focus: From the clasp to the gem.

• Perfect for Rings and Earrings: Especially when shooting at high magnification.

Real scenario: A detailed diamond bracelet shoot where only parts were sharp. After focus stacking with Helicon, the final image looked stunning—every facet visible, every texture clean.

Not every tool fits every need. Here’s a quick breakdown:

For Beginners: Start with Lightroom and Topaz AI—easy to learn, powerful results.

For Pros: Photoshop and Capture One offer full control. You’ll love the precision.

For Specific Tasks:

• Focus issues? Go with Helicon Focus.

• Need quick edits in bulk? Lightroom is your friend.

Think about your workflow, budget, and desired outcome. Most importantly, consider whether you want to handle it yourself—or let pros like SR Clipping take care of it.

We don’t stick to one tool because each project is unique. A product shoot for Amazon? Lightroom and Photoshop. A fine jewelry catalog? Capture One and Helicon. Our team picks the right tool for each photo.

We believe every piece deserves to shine.

Our experts work behind the scenes to:

• Remove dust and scratches

• Fix lighting and reflections

• Highlight gemstone brilliance

• Ensure color accuracy across platforms

When a customer clicks on your product photo, they should feel the sparkle. That’s our job.

Jewelry retouching isn’t just about making things look better. It’s about capturing beauty, trust, and quality—things that help customers click "buy."

With the right tools and a professional touch, your images can do more than attract attention. They can drive sales.

Want to see the difference for yourself?

???? Reach out to SR Clipping for a free trial edit today. Let’s make your jewelry images shine as bright as the real thing.