Picture perfect

Modern retailers know the formula for desirable, attractive photography: The brighter, bolder and more colorful the image, the more appealing it is. To make that happen, it’s common practice to enhance images with photo-editing technology. In the diamond industry, though, minute variations in a stone’s color, clarity and brightness can mean gargantuan differences in value — so even the slightest edit may be perceived as a misrepresentation of the product.

In a world where consumers have become desensitized to heightened versions of reality, how can diamond retailers present the best-looking photos of their merchandise without compromising on business ethics? The key to navigating this ambiguous territory is twofold: working to create quality images to begin with, and being transparent about accurate representation.

No substitute for skill

Ideally, you want to show your products in their best light, both literally and metaphorically. Digital enhancement is often unnecessary if you are using the full arsenal of tools at your disposal — the most effective of which is an excellent jewelry photographer.

Leo Bieber has earned a reputation as one of the most skilled photographers in the industry.

“It’s all about honesty and clarity,” he says. “It’s cheating to use Photoshop to do the work which clever lighting can achieve; all of this can be done without any editing. Erasing an inclusion with software is a misrepresentation of a diamond.”

Even the greatest editor in the world and the most cutting-edge software cannot compensate for poor photography; a social media manager with an iPhone, even less so. Instagram’s native editing software appears as you upload every image or video, and while this primitive style of editing can prove tempting for some brands, it can be too powerful, overcorrecting to the point of inaccuracy.

Photoshop is more sophisticated. In the hands of specialists, it can be the right tool for the job, achieving more subtle corrections that don’t alter the image unduly. However, since it’s widely available to the public, many Photoshop users are unskilled — and in those cases, it can be as problematic as any other software.

Setting standards

The most powerful tool for maintaining transparency is education — meaning reiteration of fair and best practices in our industry. To date, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has outlined no guidelines or rulings on jewelry imagery. Though it has set out clear rules for terminology, it’s unrealistic to assume that only words can mislead — especially in this age of visual media and online purchasing.

Of course, setting standards for fair trading when it comes to ephemeral images and videos is complex. But at a basic level, removing inclusions, improving clarity, brightening a diamond and enhancing color saturation are practices to avoid.

In addition, stating your commitment to ethical and accurate representation in your product descriptions and as part of your brand copy is a strategy that encourages trust. Strict, consistent standards of practice regarding imagery should be a pillar of your marketing. The more consumers can trust our industry, the more we all benefit.

A word from the experts

Katerina Perez

Jewelry influencer, brand consultant and journalist Katerina Perez regularly captures, edits and creates content in collaboration with hundreds of brands. Her advice is to “perfect the image around the jewel. In every image I create and publish, the actual jewelry and main stones are the aspect of the image which is strictly never edited. I hire exceptional editors, and then personally train them on the specific standards and intricacies of fine-jewelry imagery.”

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Graff

Graff deals with some of the world’s largest and most prominent diamonds. “Diamonds are exceptionally complicated to photograph,” says a spokesperson for the jewelry house. “Up to 150 individual photographs are meticulously layered together to create a single static image in order to capture the light within a diamond as it scintillates. Directing all of our imagery in-house, we control the entire process from beginning to end, ensuring exceptional quality is maintained at every stage.”

Visual aids
The best practical tools for photography and editing

Adobe Photoshop

This software offers you the precision to edit surrounding elements without altering the stones, and has the most comprehensive image applications. It’s also useful for comparing the raw (unedited) image to the final piece to ensure that it’s still a faithful representation.

A stylus

This handheld tool can be used with any smartphone, tablet or computer with a touchpad, allowing for more sensitive editing and detail-oriented work.

VSCO

Although there isn’t any software that can match a professional videographer’s editing suite, if you are looking to finesse elements of a video for social media, the VSCO app offers basic editing tools that are accessible and simple to navigate.

Unum

An app that lets you see the Instagram grid ahead and use it to enhance the look of your social media feed. Scheduling content in advance is a preventative measure that should negate any rushed, lower-quality or poorly edited images or videos being posted to your audience.

Softboxes or light cubes

These devices produce soft lighting and are excellent additions to even basic photography setups when no professional studio is available. The better the lighting, the less need there is for editing.

Images: Simon Martner; Graff; Shutterstock

Article from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2019. To subscribe click here.