How to Photograph Gemstones and Minerals with a Smartphone: Black Background Tips

An amethyst cluster photographed on an ultra-black background

When you photograph gemstones, minerals or jewelry, do you ever feel that the background gets in the way and the color and sparkle of the stone just do not come through? In this article, we show how to choose a black background and how to shoot gemstones and minerals beautifully, even with a smartphone, using photos of an amethyst.

In short

• Gemstones and minerals look their best on a background that is truly black: the color and outline of the stone stand out. The black backdrop that comes with a photo light box can look gray in photos.

• Three smartphone tips: make a wide area black, light the stone from the side or at an angle from above, and lower the exposure a little.

• For the background, we recommend Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI, a black fabric that reflects only about 0.1% of visible light. No special lighting needed: room lights are enough.

The blackness of the background makes or breaks the photo

Comparing the black backdrop that came with a photo light box (left, looks gray) and Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI (right), with an apple in front — Left: the black backdrop that came with a photo light box / Right: Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI

The black backdrop on the left (gray, really) came with a photo light box. Both are called "black," but in a photo the difference is huge. When the background turns gray, the outline of the stone blurs and its color looks dull.

Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI is a fabric made of long rayon pile, dyed with a special black dye and standing straight up. Light that enters the fabric bounces back and forth between the fibers and fades away, so it reflects only about 0.1% of visible light (at 550 nm).

A rose and a camera on Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI, shot at six exposure settings: the background stays black even at brighter exposures — Even at brighter exposures, Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI stays black

We are often asked whether Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI is a fabric coated with Musou Black Paint. It is not: it is made from a different material than the paint.

Smartphone tips for photographing gemstones and minerals

Make everything in the frame blackCover not only the area behind the stone but also the surface underneath with black fabric. When nothing but black is in the frame, the stone appears to float.
Light from the side or at an angle from aboveLight straight from the front makes the surface of the stone shine and washes out its color. Position the stone so that room light or window light hits it from the side or from above at an angle. This brings out the sparkle of the facets.
Lower the exposure a littleA smartphone tries to brighten the whole screen, so on a black background the stone tends to look whitish. Tap the stone on the screen and slide the brightness down a little: the color of the stone becomes richer.
Do not get too closeIf you get too close, the camera struggles to focus. Shoot from a little farther away and zoom or crop to enlarge for a sharper image.

We photographed an amethyst

We borrowed an amethyst from a member of our team and photographed it on Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI. Amethyst is the birthstone for February.

The amethyst cluster used for the photo, held in the hand — The amethyst we photographed

An amethyst photographed with a smartphone on Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI: the purple stands out as if floating in space — Shot with a smartphone on Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI

The photo was taken by one of our staff with no photography skills, using a smartphone and only the room lights, no special lighting. Because the background is pitch black, the purple of the amethyst stands out, and it looks as if it is floating in space.

Not just gemstones and minerals

The same approach works for accessories, jewelry, natural stones, miniatures and figures, giving your photos a strong sense of atmosphere. Shiny metal objects such as knives and cutlery also look great on black (see How to Photograph Knives and Metal Objects). For fluorescent minerals that glow under ultraviolet light, you need a background that does not reflect UV either.