Best Practices for Pink Diamond Photography

Why Pink Diamonds are difficult to Photograph:

Photographing pink diamonds is challenging due to their diverse colour range and sensitivity to lighting. Achieving accurate colour representation requires precise lighting control. Even slight variations can impact their appearance. Pink diamonds also react to lighting angles, reflections, and shadows, adding complexity to capturing their beauty.

The exceptional brilliance and sparkle of pink diamonds pose difficulties in photography. Managing exposure and depth of field is crucial to capture their play of light. Focus precision is necessary to highlight their intricate facets and minimise distractions. With advanced techniques and equipment, our photographers strived to showcase the captivating allure of pink diamonds.

Colour variations can pose a significant challenge when photographing pink diamonds, particularly when viewed across different devices and settings. The interpretation of colour can vary greatly depending on the display calibration, colour profiles, and individual device settings. This means that the delicate nuances of pink diamond hues captured in a photograph may appear slightly different when viewed on various screens or in different lighting conditions. 

To mitigate this issue, it is crucial to strive for accurate colour representation during the editing process, considering the target audience’s devices and settings. By maintaining consistency in colour management and utilising colour calibration tools, we ensure that the captivating beauty of pink diamonds shines through, regardless of the device or setting on which they are viewed.

Equipment and Setup:

APDTC presents to you our best practices for photographing Argyle certified pink diamonds, to create captivating visuals that highlight the beauty of these extraordinary diamonds.

To capture high-quality images of pink diamonds, it was essential for APDTC to have the proper apparatus and a well-organised setup. Here is a list of the setups and equipment utilised to acquire these images for the trade centre website:

a) Camera: Sony a7iii high-resolution DSLR camera – The Sony a7III is the most popular camera used by professional photographers and the top choice for photographing investment-grade pink diamonds. Its outstanding features and capabilities ensure flawless detail and clarity, capturing every facet and hue with precision. 

With advanced manual controls, photographers have precise command over settings, achieving accurate colours and optimal exposure. The camera’s versatility and compatibility with various lenses allow for capturing pink diamonds from multiple angles, highlighting their investment-worthy qualities. The Sony a7III delivers professional-grade photographs that beautifully showcase the allure and investment potential of pink diamonds.

b) Lens: LAOWA 24mm f/14 2X Macro Probe – Unlocking unparalleled perspectives for pink diamond photography. With its remarkable capabilities, this lens allows you to capture pink diamonds in a whole new light. Offering a 2:1 macro magnification ratio to infinity, it delivers stunning close-up details while maintaining an impressive 85° field of view. This unique lens design provides an extraordinary “Bug Eye” perspective, showcasing pink diamonds from a captivating wide angle that enhances depth of field, unlike traditional telephoto macro lenses.

c) Lighting: Gem Lightbox – Pink diamonds, shot under a stabilised colour temperature of daylight (5500K), offers an excellent solution for photographing pink diamonds. The use of a standardised colour temperature ensures consistent and accurate representation of the diamond’s colour, capturing its true beauty. By utilising this setting, we eliminate the potential colour distortions that can occur with varying lighting conditions. This allows us to showcase pink diamonds with remarkable clarity, ensuring that their unique hues are faithfully reproduced in photographs. We strive to capture the natural allure of pink diamonds, allowing for stunning visuals that captivates and accurately convey the diamond’s investment-worthy qualities.

Diamond Placement and Angles:

Proper diamond placement and selecting the right angles are crucial for capturing the brilliance and investment-worthy characteristics of a pink diamond:

a) Diamond Placement: We first ensure the diamond is securely positioned to prevent any accidental movement during the photoshoot. This guarantees sharp and clear images that accurately represent the diamond’s unique qualities.

b) Angles: We experimented with various angles to capture the diamond’s sparkle, colour, and 3D qualities. Photographing the diamonds from different perspectives, including top-down and angled views, to showcase their beauty from every angle. 

Focus and Depth of Field:

Achieving precise focus and controlling the depth of field are essential to enhancing the visual impact of pink diamond photography:

a) Focus: We utilised manual focus or spot autofocus to ensure the diamond is in sharp focus. Adjust the focus point to highlight specific areas of the diamond, such as its table or facets, accentuating its characteristics.

b) Depth of Field: We control the depth of field by manipulating the aperture settings. A wider aperture (lower f-stop value) creates a shallow depth of field, drawing attention to the diamond and separating it from the background. Alternatively, a narrower aperture (higher f-stop value) ensures a larger portion of the diamond remains in focus, capturing its intricate details.