Jewelry photography cost calculator

How to use the calculator

1. Describe your catalogue. Enter the number of designs, the angles you show for each one and the number of variants, such as metal colours or stone options. The calculator multiplies them to get the number of finished images you need.
2. Add your photography quotes. Enter the price per final image from your photographer, plus retouching if it is charged separately and any other shoot costs, such as shipping, insurance or studio days.
3. Decide about samples. Leave physical samples switched on if each variant has to be made before it can be photographed. This is common for made-to-order and pre-launch collections.
4. Add your rendering costs. Enter the monthly price of your rendering plan, the number of months you need and, if you pay a designer, the CAD cost per design.

The results show the image count, the number of samples, both totals and the cost per image, with a simple bar chart and the difference between the two.

Why the image count grows so quickly

Jewelry catalogues multiply. Twenty designs shown from four angles in three metal colours already need 240 images. Add a fourth metal colour and the count rises to 320, without a single new design. Shoppers expect to see the exact colour they are choosing, so every variant needs its own set of images, and every set has to match the others in lighting and framing.

This is where photography and rendering differ most. A photographer needs a physical piece for every variant in front of the camera. A renderer only needs the CAD file, and switching a ring from yellow to white gold is a material change, not a new casting.

What goes into the photography total

• Image fees. Photographers usually charge per image or per day. Ask for a written quote that says exactly what is included.
• Retouching. Jewelry needs careful cleanup of dust, scratches and stray reflections, plus colour matching across a set. Some studios include it, others charge per image.
• Samples. If the pieces do not exist yet, each variant has to be cast, set and polished before the shoot.
• Logistics. Shipping, insurance and the time pieces spend away from your shop or showroom.
• Reshoots. Design changes, new colours and seasonal updates mean booking again.

Prices vary a lot between cities, studios and levels of retouching, so the calculator does not suggest a figure. Real quotes give an honest comparison.

What goes into the rendering total

Rendering costs are mostly a subscription and the CAD files themselves. Many jewelers already have CAD for every design, because it is needed for casting. On RenderMyJewels, every plan includes unlimited uploads and the full studio, so each model can be shown in any of 98 metal presets and 58 gem presets, with stills exported at sizes up to 8K and 360° or multi-angle videos at up to 4K. Premium is $49 a month or $490 a year and adds 150 AI images and 5 AI videos a month for on-model shots and lifestyle scenes. See pricing for the current plans.

When photography is still the better choice

Rendering is not always cheaper or more suitable. Photography often wins when:

• the pieces are already in stock and you sell only one version of each,
• there is no CAD file, as with vintage, antique or handmade one-off pieces,
• a natural stone has a colour or inclusions that must be shown exactly,
• a marketplace asks for a photograph of the actual product in a particular image slot.

Many jewelers use both, with renders for variants, new designs and pre-orders, and photography for hero pieces that are already made. The comparison of rendering and studio photography goes deeper.

Reading the result

The calculator gives a rough comparison, not a quote. It does not count your own time, the learning curve of any software or the cost of creating CAD files you do not already have. Change one number at a time to see which cost drives your total, then use that to plan your next collection.