In this first example, much of the details are lost in the shadow.  In the second, the camera focused way behind the ring, blurring all the details.  In this third shot, something similar happened.  The macro focused on another finger and because of the narrow depth of field, the ring details got blurred.

I thought this would be a good place for a few tips on how to get a better shot:

It’s important to consider the purpose of the picture.  In our case we are trying to see the useful details of a ring so the primary subject should be the ring and the background should be a simple as possible.  If on the other hand, you are looking to create an artistic picture, then choosing an interesting background can add a lot.

Depending on your objective, place your ring on your background. This could be a table top, tree trunk, flower, or anything you want to use.

Try to find someplace where you don’t have to hold the ring as this will free up your second hand to take the picture.  If you have very steady hands (very few people do), you can try operating the camera one-handed and shoot the ring on your finger, but this might prove more frustrating than you think.

Make sure your primary light source is behind or to the side of you, not behind the ring.

Hold your phone about 8 to 12 inches away from your ring (depends on phone model) and zoom in about 30%.

Using your free hand focus (poke your phone) right on the diamond or main stone. This focuses the lens and adjusts the lighting for that spot.

Take the picture. If you find the picture to be blurry, try a few more times or try to find something to rest the phone on.  If you focus on a specific spot and then move your phone before taking the shot, the camera will refocus on whatever is in the spot you selected to focus on.

Using these simple tips can give you better results.

Happy shooting.

First of all, you go gym to get a good work out and this more than likely involves intense physical activity with your hands. This is a recipe for injury.  If you are boxing, you might bruise your finger or the ones around it.  If you spar with a partner, you may well unintentionally injure them.  It can affect your grip while lifting weights or playing golf or tennis.  If you jam or injure your finger and don’t have the presence of mind to remove your ring before there is swelling, your ring may well have to be cut off your finger or worse!  Just look at what happened to Jimmy Fallon of the Tonight Show (http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/14/media/jimmy-fallon-injury-finger/ ).   If you swim, water (especially salt water) causes your fingers to contract and you may not even feel your ring falling off.

On a slightly more materialistic side, do you really want to damage your ring?  We made a stunning eternity ring for a customer a few years ago and after a few weeks she called to complain that the diamonds felt rough.  When she came in, we saw that 6 of the diamonds were heavily chipped or broken.  It turns out this customer was a cross fit fanatic and never took her rings off.  She had been doing barbell snatches, pull-ups and rope climbs with her rings on.  Needless to say she no longer wears them to the gym!  This is an extreme example but even a plain, stone-free shank can get bent while lifting weights.  Boxing with your rings on can loosen the center stone and deform the ring as well.

I often see women wearing their ring on a chain around their neck but I have heard stories of scratched corneas from bouncing chains on runners, so I would not recommend that either.

So what should you do?  The best would be to leave your rings at home before you go to the gym.   Hidden and locked in your gym bag or locker are probably the most logical things to do.  One of my clients once told me she hid her rings in a tennis ball in her gym bag.  She put a 2 inch slice in the ball and just squeezed it to open it.  What’s more inconspicuous than a tennis ball in a gym bag?

Her family stone was set in a three-prong setting.  We kept this detail alive in the new piece, setting all the new centers with three prongs in stead of the traditional four.