Ambient occlusion (AO)
A shading effect that darkens areas where surrounding geometry blocks ambient light, such as creases and contact points.
Why it helps
Real objects are darker in tight spaces because less light can reach them. AO adds that cue, so a ring looks solid and grounded instead of floating. In jewelry it adds depth between prongs, inside galleries, under halos and along the line where a band touches a surface.
Real time versus path traced
Path tracers calculate occlusion naturally as part of their lighting. Real-time renderers often approximate it with screen space ambient occlusion, which estimates occlusion from the depth of what the camera sees. It is fast and convincing, but it only knows about visible geometry, so edges can darken slightly differently as the camera moves.
When AO looks wrong
- Too strong, metal looks dirty and crevices turn black.
- Too wide, dark halos appear around the whole piece.
- On gems, heavy occlusion inside stones makes them look cloudy.
Practical tips
Keep AO subtle on polished pieces. Use it to separate parts and to anchor the piece to the ground, not as a style. Pair it with a good contact shadow, which does more to ground a ring than AO alone. Compare close-ups with and without heavy effects before exporting final images.