To be fair, jewelry always had a special place in human society. It has been a mode of self-expression and class-differentiation for centuries. Intricate designs, bold carvings, and subtle messages; jewelry is the epitome of human civilization. Wars have been fought over certain pieces, and blood has been spilled for others.

In the 21st century, however, jewelry isn’t limited to anything or anyone. The advent of digital marketing has led to a noteworthy increase in small businesses' growth—the already established large corporations spending big bucks on saving their spots in their respective fields. The jewelry industry – to be specific – has seen a massive increase in growth productivity over the past few years. Digital marketing and the world being converted into a global village makes it easier for jewelry artists to take inspiration from various cultures, thoughts, and ideas. Today, the sheer variety of tastes catered within the industry garners attention from a huge audience.

Marketing is a vast subject; in terms of jewelry, however, pictures and physical appeal to the product are paid the most attention to. A good photograph can make you spend a considerable sum of money. The bling and the sparkle of certain pieces become irresistible through certain pictures. A good picture can also help you decipher the message behind the jewelry, too, and incite the audience's interest in the bigger picture. Good photography and skill are required to create a perfect shot of a jewelry piece. And as we all know, jewelry photography doesn't only include clicking away on an expensive camera. No, most jewelry photographers will have you know that jewelry retouching is the most important part of the process.

In this article, we’ll talk about the essence of marketing genius that is jewelry retouching and talk about why jewelry retouching is such a huge part of this billion-dollar industry.

Jewelry retouching

Jewelry retouching is the modification of the photographs with the help of editing software such as Photoshop or Lightroom. The process includes using light and color correction, making stones brighter, removing spots or scratches.  

Through jewelry retouching, you can alleviate a basic picture to one, which allures people into clicking on the picture and buying the product. It's a powerful tool, and digital marketing experts term it as being "vital" to sell jewelry products.

Photo-editing, in general, is used to enhance the quality of the picture. This includes editing out certain features and adding in others such as vibrancy to make it more appealing and add to the picture's life.  

Jewelry retouching is essential because it is the only process that can help maintain the glittering effect of jewelry ornaments throughout the editing process. Although dependent on the skill of the photographers and the equipment used, photography is also greatly influenced by external factors and the3 environment. Plus, faults can occur during the process, which may decrease the product's marketability in the pictures taken. These unwanted inferences may be photo-shoot dust, dark spots, scratches on the jewelry items, etc.

These can only be removed via jewelry retouching. Seasoned graphic designers can also use these highly effective skillsets to clean, sharpen, and adjust the photos' colors.

It can include anything from making the gemstones look brighter and shinier to minimize the bands' shine to divert focus. Jewelry retouching also consists of removing dust particles, adjusting reflections, adding or removing shadows, clipping paths, upgrading the backgrounds, etc.

Basically, any editing process or tool that can make the item photographed look better and more aesthetically pleasing is included in the jewelry retouching domain.

The marketplace exhibits a very hard, competitive environment in which if you don’t adapt, you are left behind.

Look at it this way; you are presented with two pictures of the same ring. However, one has undergone professional retouching, and the other was retouched by a beginner or is a "straight out of camera" shot. The former has glittering gems that sparkle with life, and you can see every line and intricate on the ring. The other photo is lackluster. It shines, but it doesn't call out to your aesthetics, you can see the details, but they lack the wow-factor. What picture would you want to proceed to checkout with?

Of course, the one which speaks to you; the first one.

You see, pictures do speak; jewelry retouching gives these pictures and the pieces they portray a voice which is clear of static and lures you in.

Commercial jewelry retouching works on the same frame. Every retailer wants you to buy their product, and jewelry retouching is the best shot at making their products speak to the customer and stand out in an already aggressive market.  

1. While taking a picture, make sure that you have a clean background, good lighting, and a right camera lens.

2. While retouching, make sure that the background is light and clean so that all the attention can be focused on the jewelry.

3. Try to separate the background from the jewelry pieces. Bokeh-ing the background is a good option too.

4. Try not to over-do the editing. The key is to make your pieces look appealing yet realistic.

5. Try to keep the editing tools such as shadows and highlights in a natural setting.

6. While color-correcting, keep in mind that the perception from a computer screen is very different from that of a human eye. Make the colors pop more by adjusting color balance and adjust the drab colors too.

7. You’ll have to create a clipping path. After that, mask the unnecessary areas and make the proper fixes for the diamonds to shine.

Jewelry retouching is an art itself. In a way, jewelry retouching, marketing, and the jewelry itself are interconnected. The basic intersection between them being that – all three require skill, creativity, knowledge of the existing trends, customer requirement, and a sense of self-expression.

We hope you liked our ultimate guide to jewelry retouching, explained within the domains of digital marketing.

Please give us your feedback down below!