How to do best photography for green colour gemstones?

[greengems]

I made some more photos of more of my gesmtones collection;I am a fan of green stones and specially imperial jadeite;most of my gems are from a rare material from west sumatra;I bought some years ago as sumatran jade,but surprise as I tested it in a laboratorium of gemology;for the same sample one laboratorie told me is Idocrase and other laboratorie tolds me hydrogrossular garnet so my conclusion is they are a mix of both minerals;they are in appearance very much same like jadeite
They are really very difficult to photograph as the windows,the roof,my camera..all goes inside the stone,makes like mirror effect;I tried with ligthbox,i tried inside a pot of water...nothing works
Some advise on how to photograph them much better?I post here some of my last photos of them:

 

[kenny]

They are really very difficult to photograph as the windows,the roof,my camera..all goes inside the stone,makes like mirror effect;I tried with ligthbox,i tried inside a pot of water...nothing worksg]

Gem photography is my serious hobby and I love to study pics and try to figure out the lighting set up.
Because of their smooth, reflective, non-faceted surface Cabochons are among the most revealing cuts of lighting set ups and environments.
That does not mean the pics are bad, unless you really are trying to shoot for no, or minimum, reflections.

I suspect a lightbox with a tiny hole for the lens would be the best overall solution.
When you say the pics in the lightbox "didn't work" can you elaborate, or better yet, post the pics?

 

[greengems]

I made myselve a lightbox with a cardboard box,opened a hole in upstairs and 1 hole more in each side left and right of the box;then covered the holes with thin white paper and iluminated through that sides lamps one from above and 2 on the sides but the stone still make mirror effect and the camera and even me go inside the stone.
I found the best light is natural light so not using lamps,so no lightbox,but this way allways the window inside the stone
The best way I found been to submerge the stones in clear water only just covering the stone inside a plastic pot,then photograph like this and this way dazzling over the stone it deads a little and more better but still no good as I want,still some of the window inside stone
Is so difficult o get the best colour of these stones

 

[greengems]

I use a 90 mm macro lens from sony to do the pictures
I also noted that 12 inthe midday more better the pictures that when I make them at other time of the day;this inside the house and close to window;with other stones that has no bright surface like these ones the pictures are just fine
This one I think is one of the best pictures I have been able to take it but still need to improve it;this was taken inside home at around 12 so sun was quite high and light maximum but never been able to get this quality photo again;but still the window and like a crown more dazzle,what I just take good was teh colour but want to eliminate that bright around it like a crown
enough

 

[Richard M.]

greengems,

This is a case where tastes/opinions can vary a lot. I shoot many cabochon images and, depending on the material and degree of polish, cabs can be extremely difficult to photograph well. I often say it's like trying to photograph a mirror without you and the camera ending up in the image.

I like your natural light shots -- my own preferred method -- even when they show reflections of your window. Mine often show reflections too. But I think that adds interest and contrast, and the quality of the image is vastly better (in my opinion) than those made with a diffuser. The polish shows much better and the images are crisp and sharp. But when reflections are a big problem I resort to a very simple solution: a sheet of white tissue paper used as a tent over the camera. Here's a quick shot of a B-jade cab, the top one with no diffuser, the bottom with tissue-paper. Same set-up, same time of day. The image with diffuser shows softer focus but greatly diminished reflections. I was a little careless with the tissue in the bottom image so its edge, which I was holding up, shows as a line across the stone. I should have made a real "tent" as explained above.

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

 

[minousbijoux]

Rick: I'm glad you explained, as I thought it was a crack. Anyway, I too, like your photos very much greengems. I can see how the reflection might get on my nerves as well, but it helps show the level of polish...

 

[greengems]

These are photos of a same stone one with a small lamp
that I hold on the floor,then I cover with a white
sheet of paper and put the stone over the paper
and then shoot the photo and other photo just normal

These are copules of the same stone shooting one at 12 midday when
the sun is at the most high and other at 4:30 pm when
sun is already more down and there is a lot of
differences in the colour I get in the picture h

 

[chrono]

I much prefer the natural pictures, reflection and all. Those that are under-lit is not realistic in a sense that nobody is going to wear the stone with a light source underneath. It is more of a cool factor to be able to see the internal makeup of the stone.

 

[greengems]

Yes I prefer also without backlit,that only to be able to see inside pattern
This is a photo of the rough of this greenmaterial
I want to try in the open air later to make photos at the direct sunlight see how they looks like