Jewelry photography can be tricky. Often, the photos you take don’t reflect the true beauty of your pieces, leaving you feeling disappointed. Are you aiming to offer wonderful jewelry retouching services? In this blog, I will show you how to edit jewelry photos in Photoshop and make your jewelry photos look so flawless.
| I’ll guide you through the entire editing process. From drawing precise clipping paths to changing backgrounds and performing final retouches, you’ll learn all the essential techniques. |
How to Edit Jewelry Photos in Photoshop
I will edit a picture of 2 rings to show you a particular method of jewelry editing. The main photo is on the left-hand side. Also, you can see the BEFORE & AFTER of my editing.
For creative ideas on how to photograph jewelry before you start editing, check out our guide on Creative Jewelry Photography Ideas.
Step 1: Drawing Clipping Path
With a jewelry picture opened on your Photoshop, Select the PEN TOOL and make a path around the rings.
Create the path with the left-click of your mouse. For curves and edges press Alt / Opt then left-click to make accurate paths.
Create another path for the stone.
Once you are done making paths this is what the paths will look like:
Step 2: Change the Background
Select the paths from the PATH PANEL and right-click to find MAKE SELECTION.
After clicking on MAKE SELECTION, you will need to set a FEATHER RADIUS depending on the resolution of your picture. So, based on the quality of my jewelry picture I set 0.5 pixels radius.
Next, create a new layer. New layer shortcut: Ctrl / Cmd +J.
To change the background you can add an adjustment layer. Then, pick the SOLID COLOR option and make the background white using the COLOR PICKER window.
Step 3: Basic Retouching
After that, you need to do some basic retouching with MIXTURE BRUSH TOOL. Since the rings are actually silver in color, I selected white color for the brush.
Tip: Create paths to use the brush tool at this stage. This way you can ensure that you are working on a targeted area for a flawless result.
Next, go to the option CAMERA RAW FILTER to show the real color of the rings. Shortcut for CAMERA RAW FILTER: Shift + Ctrl / Cmd + A.
Notice the adjustment I made. For example, I fixed the saturation to get a silver color and adjusted the exposure to remove the darkness.
Tip: You should do it by checking the preview of the jewelry and make as many adjustments as needed from the options marked in the following picture.
Step 4: Further Polishing
The picture/jewelry might have a blurry look. To fix that, I adjusted the sharpness from the CAMERA RAW FILTER.
Step 5: Stone Retouching
Next, the target is the stone. I reduced the noise from the stone to banish the dusty appearance.
Step 6: Final Retouch
Find the option of UNSHARP MASK. Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.
Next, you must not skip the most essential step for a realistic outcome—making the jewelry pop on a white background.
So, go to EDIT and click on STROKE. Shortcut for STROKE: Alt / Opt + Shift + Ctrl / Cmd + V.
Specify the size or pixel of STROKE. For instance, I added 2 pixels of stokes.
Then add a natural shadow under the jewelry by creating different paths. Keep the MIXER BRUSH color black.
Finally, this is the outcome of my editing process:
Once you are done don’t forget to save your file in the desired format.
For high-quality, polished product images, our deep etching service can make your jewelry stand out.
Final Notes
Learning how to edit jewelry photos in Photoshop is essential for showcasing ornaments in the best light. With the techniques covered in this guide, from creating clipping paths to performing final retouches, you can ensure your jewelry photos look flawless and professional.
For more in-depth guides and expert tips on photography and Photoshop editing, explore our other blogs.
