9 Tips and Best Practices for Shooting Jewelry Videos

Do you need some help in shooting jewelry videos for your online business?

If you’re thinking of hiring videographers, but your budget is tight, hold dearly to your pocket and think of this: Shooting jewelry videos (and capturing jewelry product photos) is no longer earmarked for professionals.

Yes, you read that right! Innovative technologies, like the GemLightbox by Picup Media, are now available in the market to make it easy for jewelers like yourself to enter into the digital world of jewelry. For instance, the GemLightbox allows you to shoot videos (including 360 jewelry videos with its turntable) and capture jewelry images with just a click on your smartphone and upload it directly to your social media pages and e-commerce websites. In just a matter of seconds, you’ll get a result as shown below, without unnecessary grand studio setup.

So, if you’re ready to take full control of your jewelry product content, read on as we give you some of the best practices and tips when shooting jewelry videos.

9 Tips and Best Practices for Shooting Jewelry Videos

1. Brainstorm concept ideas

Before you dive in, brainstorm concept ideas with your team. This will allow everyone to contribute and be creative. List down everything your team comes up with, remembering that in the brainstorming stage, every idea is a good idea. Don’t worry if you don’t like one that comes up, you will weed them out later on.

When brainstorming concept ideas, come up with the intention and let the team anchor their ideas on that. This will make sure that all ideas, no matter how crazy, are aligned with the brief.

2. Use a tripod to avoid or reduce the camera shake

Camera shake is notorious for ruining an excellent jewelry video no matter how seamless your setup looks; hence, stabilizing your camera should be one of your primary concerns before you get down to work. It does not matter whether you decide to DIY a camera stabilizer or purchase a tripod from any photography equipment store as long as it is sturdy enough and can endure long-term use. As we mentioned before, you cannot entirely exclude but you can definitely reduce camera shake with the right equipment, so don’t hesitate to invest in a good one.

3. Take a variety of shots if you want to make a video using multiple jewelry photos 

If you’re thinking of creating a video from multiple jewelry photos, make sure that you get the right shots and the right angles. Don’t hesitate to take as many photos as you desire, so you can have plenty of options to choose from, later on.

4. Use a black or white background for your jewelry videos

Since jewelry videos are made to highlight your jewelry piece/s and its design, avoid using backgrounds that take the focus away from your product. A white background is the most commonly used in the jewelry industry because it eliminates distractions and makes your videos look professional. Meanwhile, a black background is also popular, especially when you have highly reflective pieces and richly colored gems, because it adds drama, which helps stir emotional responses from the viewers.

However, a white or a black background does not mean you have to tone down your level of creativity as there are other backgrounds, such as these five jewelry background ideas, you could use without compromising your videos’ overall aesthetics and quality.

5. Optimize your jewelry videos according to platforms and devices

Back in the day, vertical videos were frowned upon because they looked unprofessional in traditional video players. For example, vertical videos look amateurish when played on a desktop; however, the tide has turned, and it looks like vertical videos are not so amateurish, after all. You just have to know where your potential shoppers are.

Vertical videos are no longer a rookie mistake as the increased mobile usage makes them more and more popular. Although only 11% of online shoppers use their mobile devices every week, 35% and 39% are committed to making them their primary shopping devices and their source of purchase inspiration, respectively.

While there is nothing wrong with shooting in landscape format, keep in mind that vertical videos also convert customers. In fact, surveys reveal that it can attract more engagement and lead to a better conversion rate than the traditional format. Either way, optimize your videos the way you optimize your images depending on where your potential shoppers are.

6. Consider whether your video needs to have an audio

Unless you’re shooting jewelry-making tutorials or customers’ testimonials (to name a few), you don’t really need to have an audio when showcasing your jewelry products; however, should you decide to add a voiceover, make sure that the viewers can understand and hear every word; otherwise, they won’t pay attention.

To ensure that you capture jewelry videos with quality audio, find a quiet spot and use an external microphone for quality voice recording. Without this, you’re better off without audio or just using background music that elicits the mood you want your viewers to feel while looking at your jewelry pieces. When all else fails, you can always resort to writing engaging captions to tell your product’s story.

7. Leverage user-generated product review videos

Your potential shoppers are very much interested in what others think of your jewelry pieces. To satisfy this curiosity, consider launching a product review of your jewelry pieces but make them as authentic as possible, so shoppers won’t feel that you staged or manipulated the reviews.

As we always say, try to request feedback from your clients outside of your workshop. For instance, Picup Media leverages user-generated product reviews by following up with clients and during jewelry exhibits where we offer free jewelry photography and videos demonstration using the GemLightbox. Below, you’ll see one of the product reviews from Gabriel, Founder of the Jewellery Institute of Australia (JIA). As you’ll notice, this was shot in his environment, which communicates that he is a genuine user of the product.

There are other types of jewelry videos you can produce for your online business. Make sure that it matches every stage of your shopper’s journey for you to reap the benefits.

8. Hire an influencer to create an unboxing video for you

Jewelry pieces are about love and romance and so is your packaging. It’s as important as the product itself as it creates a favorable impression, attracts viewers, and encourages repeat purchases. If you have unique and interesting jewelry packaging that you think can make viewers say “wow,” show them what you have by hiring an influencer who will not only explain the features and design of your products but also excite his/her viewers to try your products.

As we’ve mentioned in these five jewelry packaging tips, jewelry packaging need not be expensive as long as it is creatively and thoughtfully wrapped.

9. Invest in equipment that can simplify your jewelry video production

Once, you have visualized the type of jewelry video you want to create, set up your lighting equipment and get ready to work. Of course, just like in jewelry photography, there are many lighting setup ideas you can apply when shooting jewelry videos. However, if you don’t have the time for a studio setup, or you want a process that will quickly let you shoot videos and upload them directly to your online website and social media pages, invest in a video/photography equipment that you can use for the long term.

Here at Picup Media, we want our clients to make use of their time productively instead of shooting and re-shooting videos with no guarantees of optimal results. As a solution, we created the GemLightbox so they can shoot both videos and jewelry images in no time.

In the video below, you’ll see how to capture a perfect 360-degree jewelry video and upload it directly to your Instagram business page in less than 2 minutes!

The process is simple with the add-on turntable. Watch the video above or read the step-by-step process below.

How to Shoot a Perfect 360-Degree Jewelry Video Using the GemLightbox

1. Remove the reflector.

2. Put the ring (or whatever jewelry piece you want to capture) inside the GemLightbox and atop the turntable and put back the reflector.

3. Download the GemLightbox app, if you haven’t downloaded it yet, and open the app once installed.

4. Go to Bluetooth, scan, and connect. Then, go to the video and get ready to shoot. You can zoom in as you like, tap to focus until you achieve a completely white background, and capture.

5. Record your 360-degree video, but remember that if you’re uploading it on Instagram, your time limit is between three to 60 seconds. Once you finished recording, go to your phone’s gallery and upload it to your Instagram page, write your caption add your hashtags, and wait for your viewers’ ♥ reactions and comments.

Check out the finished (unretouched) 360-degree video of this ravishing ruby, captured using the GemLightbox and a smartphone!

Simple, isn’t it? You can also check more of our videos captured using a smartphone and the GemLightbox on our Instagram page at Gemlightbox.

Do you have other tips and best practices when shooting jewelry videos for your online business? Feel free to share in the comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!