Discover, learn, and collect: antiques and jewellery secrets revealed.

Antique jewellery is full of intricate details, textures, and subtle sparkle that don’t always translate well in photos. Whether you’re a collector, seller, or simply sharing your favourite pieces online, good photography can make a huge difference in how your pieces are perceived.

1. Choose the Right Background

Keep the focus on your jewellery by using clean, neutral backgrounds:

• White or light grey for most pieces
• Dark velvet or black for gemstones and diamonds to enhance contrast
• Wood or marble surfaces for a more styled, editorial look

2. Use Natural Light

Natural light brings out the true colour and sparkle of antique stones:

• Place your jewellery near a window with indirect light
• Avoid direct sunlight that can create harsh shadows or reflections
• If indoors, consider using a lightbox to diffuse the light evenly

3. Focus on Details

Antique pieces often have tiny, intricate details that need to be highlighted:

• Use a macro lens or smartphone macro mode for close-ups
• Capture engravings, filigree, stone settings, and hallmarks
• Take multiple angles — front, side, and top-down views

4. Keep Your Camera Steady

Blurry photos can ruin even the most beautiful piece:

• Use a tripod for stability
• Use a remote shutter or timer to avoid shaking
• Consider stabilizing your hands on a table if shooting handheld

5. Styling Tips

Enhance the visual story without overpowering the jewellery:

• Add complementary props like velvet trays, antique boxes, or flowers
• Use minimal styling for statement pieces — let the jewellery shine
• Keep colours muted so they don’t compete with gemstones

6. Editing and Final Touches

Post-processing helps showcase your jewellery at its best:

• Adjust brightness, contrast, and sharpness
• Correct colour temperature to match real-life hues
• Crop tightly for emphasis on the jewellery

7. Consistency Matters

If posting regularly on Instagram or a blog, maintain a consistent style:

• Use similar backgrounds and lighting for all shots
• Create a cohesive colour palette for props and text overlays
• Develop a signature style to make your photos instantly recognisable

Conclusion

Photographing antique jewellery is both an art and a science. With careful attention to lighting, angles, props, and editing, you can showcase the beauty and craftsmanship of your vintage treasures, attracting collectors, admirers, and social media followers alike.

Why Knowing the Difference Matters

Fake gemstones can look beautiful, but they don’t hold the value, durability, or prestige of real stones. Learning to spot the differences protects your investments and ensures you’re buying or selling genuine jewellery.

1. Examine the Colour

Real gemstones often have natural variations in colour, whereas fake or synthetic stones can look too uniform.

2. Check the Clarity

Most real gemstones have inclusions or tiny imperfections, while fake stones often appear flawless.

3. Look at the Cut

High-quality gemstones have precise cuts, while fake stones may be poorly faceted or uneven.

4. Conduct a Scratch Test

Using the Mohs scale of hardness, you can test durability—but be careful! Some stones can be damaged. For example, diamonds are extremely hard, while glass imitations scratch easily.

5. Observe Under Light

Real gemstones refract light differently than fakes. Use a magnifying glass or jeweller’s loupe to check brilliance and sparkle.

6. Heat and Chemical Tests

Some fake stones react to heat or chemicals in ways real gemstones do not. Only conduct these tests carefully or have a professional jeweller assist.

7. Seek Professional Verification

The safest method is to have your gemstone verified by a certified gemologist or jewellery appraiser. Certificates of authenticity are ideal for valuable stones.

Examples of Common Fake Gemstones

• Glass vs Sapphire: Glass may mimic sapphire colour but lacks hardness and brilliance.
• Cubic Zirconia vs Diamond: CZ looks like diamond but is softer and heavier.
• Moissanite vs Diamond: Moissanite has a rainbow-like sparkle that differs from diamond.

Conclusion

By examining colour, clarity, cut, and using professional help, you can confidently distinguish between real and fake gemstones. Knowledge is your best tool to protect your collection and make informed purchases.

Opals are among the most enchanting gemstones in the world—alive with colour, shifting light, and an almost magical inner glow. But unlike harder stones such as diamonds or sapphires, opals need a little extra love to keep them looking their best. Their unique composition makes them sensitive to dryness, chemicals, and sudden temperature changes, so caring for them properly ensures they remain vibrant for generations.

Why Opals Need Special Care

Opals contain a high percentage of water—typically between 3% and 20%. Because of this, they can be more vulnerable to cracking (called “crazing”) if exposed to extreme dryness or sudden changes in temperature. Understanding this helps you treat them with the gentleness they deserve.

Everyday Wear: Gentle Is Key

Opals should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. Perfume, hairspray, lotions, and cleaning products can dull their surface or cause long-term damage. Try to avoid wearing opals while gardening, doing dishes, exercising, or anything where they might be knocked or exposed to chemicals.

Cleaning Opals Properly

Opals should never be cleaned with ultrasonic machines, steam cleaners, or harsh chemical solutions. The safest way to clean them is:

• Use a soft, damp cloth with lukewarm water
• Add a tiny drop of mild soap if needed
• Gently wipe and pat dry — never soak solid opals for long periods
• Doublets and triplets should not be submerged at all, as water can weaken the glued layers

Storing Opals Safely

To prevent drying out, keep opals in a cool, stable environment. A soft pouch or lined jewellery box works perfectly. If you live in a particularly dry climate or have central heating running in winter, storing your opal with a small piece of damp cotton wool (not touching the jewellery) can help maintain moisture levels.

Opal Doublets & Triplets: Extra Care

Doublets and triplets are layered opals—beautiful and more affordable, but a bit more sensitive. Water, prolonged moisture, or sudden temperature shifts can cause the layers to loosen or cloud. Always wipe them clean rather than soaking, and store them somewhere stable.

A Stone Worth Treasuring

Although opals require gentle care, the payoff is worth it. These gems hold a world of shifting colours, ancient history, and natural magic within them. With careful handling and proper storage, your opal jewellery will remain bright, beautiful, and mesmerising for decades to come.