+

+faststart

An ffmpeg flag (`-movflags +faststart`) that moves the MP4 metadata header to the front of the file so the video can start playing before it has fully downloaded. Critical for autoplay tiles on the web and for fast loading inside Instagram and TikTok ad managers. Every video Jewels Retouch produces is post-processed with +faststart so that hosted-page autoplay is instant.

9

9:16 Reels

A 9:16 vertical aspect ratio video — 1080×1920 pixels at HD or 720×1280 at 720p — sized for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. 9:16 fills the entire phone screen edge-to-edge. For jewelry ad videos, 9:16 is the default because every short-form social platform uses it and ad units are fastest to set up at this ratio.

A

Aperture (f-stop)

The opening in a camera lens that controls how much light reaches the sensor and the depth of field. Written f/1.8, f/2.8, f/8, etc. — smaller number means wider opening and shallower focus. For jewelry, f/8–f/16 is the standard range: f/8 is enough depth to keep a ring front-to-back sharp; f/16 brings the deepest necklace into focus. Wider apertures (f/1.8–f/4) only work for single-point focus shots where creative blur is intentional.

Aspect Ratio

The ratio of image width to height. Standard jewelry product aspect ratios: 1:1 square (Amazon, Etsy primary, Instagram Shop), 4:5 portrait (Instagram feed-optimized), 16:9 landscape (TikTok Shop carousel), 3:4 portrait (Shopify and eBay mobile). Aspect ratio affects both platform acceptance and perceived product size — square ratios feel stable, portrait ratios feel more premium.

AI Prompt (Jewelry)

A natural-language instruction given to a generative AI model specifying what treatment to apply to a jewelry image. Effective jewelry prompts reference the piece type (ring/earring/necklace), the metal (gold/silver/platinum/rose-gold), the stone (diamond/sapphire/pearl), the treatment (background removal, color correction, dust removal, shadow creation), and the output constraint (aspect ratio, resolution). Over-specified prompts produce artifacts; under-specified prompts produce generic output.

Ad video

A short video — typically 5 to 15 seconds — designed to run as paid creative on Meta, TikTok, or Google. Ad videos open with a strong visual hook within the first second, hold one clear product focus, and end on a brand cue. AI-generated 5-second jewelry ad videos fit Meta's and TikTok's recommended hook length almost exactly and double as Reels covers.

AAC audio

Advanced Audio Coding — the audio codec used inside MP4 video containers, including the videos Jewels Retouch produces. AAC is universally supported by Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and every major ad platform. AAC at 128 kbps is the standard for short-form ad video; lower bitrates noticeably degrade music tracks, while higher bitrates waste bandwidth without perceptual gain.

Aspect ratio (video)

The width-to-height ratio of a video frame. Standard jewelry video ratios: 9:16 vertical (Reels, TikTok, Stories — the dominant format), 16:9 landscape (YouTube, Meta in-stream), 1:1 square (Instagram feed), 3:4 portrait (legacy Instagram feed, eBay mobile). Choosing the wrong ratio at generation time means cropping or letterboxing later — Jewels Retouch lets you pick all four at the moment of render.

B

Background Removal

The process of separating the jewelry item from its original background, creating a transparent or solid-color backdrop. Essential for e-commerce listings where a clean white or neutral background is required.

Batch Processing

Applying the same retouching operations to multiple images simultaneously. Batch processing dramatically reduces time when preparing large catalogs with hundreds of product photos.

Bezel Setting

A setting where a metal rim surrounds the entire perimeter of a stone, holding it in place with no prongs. Considered the most protective setting — common for active wearers and industrial use. Bezels reduce a stone's apparent sparkle by ~15-20% because the metal blocks side light entry. For product shots, use gradient top lighting to draw focus to the stone's face rather than the surrounding metal.

Bokeh

The aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas in a photograph, particularly how blurred highlights render. Good bokeh is smooth and creamy; bad bokeh is jagged or doubled. Jewelry photography usually minimizes bokeh by stopping down to f/8+ for full-subject sharpness — intentional bokeh only belongs in lifestyle/editorial jewelry shoots, never catalog.

C

Carat

A unit of weight for gemstones equal to 200 milligrams. Not to be confused with karat (gold purity). In photography, carat weight affects how a gemstone's size and proportions appear in images.

Catalog Consistency

Ensuring all product images in a catalog share uniform backgrounds, lighting, angles, and color balance. Consistency creates a professional, trustworthy shopping experience and is critical for brand identity.

Clipping Path

A vector outline drawn around an object to define its edges precisely. Used to separate jewelry from backgrounds with pixel-perfect accuracy, especially for complex shapes like chains and filigree.

Color Correction

Adjusting the color balance of an image to accurately represent the true colors of jewelry. Ensures gold looks gold, silver looks silver, and gemstone colors are vivid without being oversaturated.

Clarity (Diamond)

The GIA grading scale rating how free a diamond is of internal inclusions and surface blemishes, from Flawless (FL) at the top to Included (I3) at the bottom. Categories in order: FL, IF, VVS1–2, VS1–2, SI1–2, I1–3. VS2 and higher appear flawless to the naked eye. In jewelry photography, clarity is assessed at 10x magnification and affects how much internal sparkle (scintillation) retouching can enhance.

Cut (Diamond)

The GIA grading scale rating how well a diamond's facets reflect light, independent of shape. Grades: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor. Cut affects brilliance (white-light return), fire (color dispersion), and scintillation (sparkle pattern). The most consequential of the 4Cs for photographed sparkle — a well-cut D-color diamond photographs with more fire than a poorly-cut D.

Color (Diamond)

The GIA color grading scale runs D (colorless) to Z (light yellow/brown). D–F are colorless, G–J near-colorless, K–M faint yellow, N–R very light, S–Z light. For white-metal settings, G–H is typically the sweet spot for apparent white without the D–F price premium. Color grading is assessed face-down against a white background under controlled 6500K lighting — the same conditions jewelry photography should replicate.

Catalog photo

A jewelry product photograph optimized for marketplace listings — typically pure white background (RGB 255), clean even lighting, the piece centered and filling 60–85% of the frame, no props or hands. Required by Amazon, preferred by Etsy and Shopify. Catalog photos prioritize clarity and consistency over mood; they are deliberately interchangeable across SKUs.

D

Drop Shadow

A simulated shadow placed beneath the jewelry to give it a sense of depth and grounding on the page. Common in e-commerce photography to prevent products from looking like they float.

Diffused Lighting

Soft, scattered light that minimizes harsh shadows and hot spots. Created using softboxes, light tents, or translucent panels. Preferred for jewelry photography to reveal detail without overwhelming reflections.

Depth of Field

The zone in front of and behind the focus plane that appears acceptably sharp. Controlled by aperture, focal length, and subject distance. Jewelry typically needs 2–4mm of depth of field to keep a ring band front-to-back sharp; this usually means f/11 or narrower with a macro lens. Focus stacking extends depth of field beyond what a single aperture can achieve.

Dust Spot

A small dark or light blemish on an image caused by dust particles on the camera sensor or lens. Most visible at narrow apertures (f/11+) against uniform backgrounds (white backdrops). Jewelry's glossy metal surfaces make dust spots read as extra reflections or pitted metal. AI dust removal uses a spatial frequency pass to detect these anomalies without damaging the surrounding intentional detail.

E

E-commerce Photography

Product photography specifically optimized for online retail. Requires white or neutral backgrounds, multiple angles, consistent lighting, and high resolution for zoom functionality.

EXIF

Exchangeable Image File Format — metadata embedded in a photo describing capture settings (camera, lens, aperture, shutter, ISO, focal length, GPS). Marketplaces like Amazon read EXIF to detect stock photos and duplicate listings. For privacy, strip GPS and serial number fields before publishing, but leave exposure metadata intact — it signals genuine photography.

F

Focus Stacking

A technique where multiple images of the same subject are shot at different focal points and combined to create one image with complete front-to-back sharpness. Essential for close-up jewelry shots where depth of field is extremely shallow.

Focal Length

The distance in millimeters from the lens's optical center to the sensor when focused at infinity. Determines field of view and magnification. For jewelry: 90–105mm macro is the standard (tight perspective, minimal distortion); 50mm works for larger flat-lay compositions; wide-angle lenses under 35mm distort shape and are unsuitable for jewelry.

First-frame conditioning

The technique of using a fixed reference image as the literal first frame of a generated video so that downstream frames stay consistent with it. First-frame conditioning is what prevents AI video tools from morphing a ring's setting or stone shape mid-clip; the model is structurally biased to match the source pixels at frame 0 and degrade gracefully from there.

Free preview

A watermarked low-resolution version of an AI result shown before the user spends a credit. Lets sellers verify the result matches their jewelry before committing. Jewels Retouch shows free previews on every photo and video render; only the final approved download deducts credits.

G

Gemstone Enhancement

Digital adjustments to improve the visual representation of gemstones in photos — increasing clarity, boosting color saturation, and enhancing the fire and brilliance of cut stones.

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H

Hero Image

The primary product image displayed prominently on a product listing page. For jewelry, the hero image typically shows the piece from its most flattering angle with optimal lighting and styling.

Halo Setting

A center stone surrounded by a ring of smaller accent stones, typically melee diamonds or pavé. The halo effect visually enlarges the center stone and boosts total sparkle. Popular in modern engagement rings. Halo rings photograph best with slightly top-down angles (10–20° from horizontal) to show both the halo and the center stone's crown facets without hiding either.

I

ISO

The camera sensor's sensitivity to light. ISO 100 is the cleanest setting (base sensitivity); each doubling (200, 400, 800, …) halves the required light but adds digital noise. For jewelry photography, stay at ISO 100–200 whenever lighting permits — jewelry surfaces reveal sensor noise dramatically, and noise reduction blurs fine engraving. If you need ISO 800+, add more light instead.

Image-to-video

A class of AI video generation that takes a single still image as the first frame and produces a short clip from it, rather than generating from text alone. Image-to-video is the right approach for jewelry ad video because the input photo locks the design — the AI only adds motion, lighting, and effects. Jewels Retouch uses image-to-video as the default video pipeline; the source photo becomes the first visible frame.

Instagram scene

A jewelry photograph styled like editorial or lifestyle content — textured backgrounds (linen, marble, velvet), props (florals, hands, candles), warmer lighting, tighter or asymmetric crops. Instagram scenes prioritize emotion and aesthetic over marketplace clarity. Best for Reels covers, brand Instagram feeds, Pinterest pins, and ad creative — not for Amazon's primary listing image.

K

Karat

A measure of gold purity where 24 karat is pure gold. 18K is 75% gold, 14K is 58.3%. In retouching, different karats of gold have different color tones that must be accurately represented.

L

Lightbox

An enclosed, diffused-light photography setup used to evenly illuminate small products like jewelry. Minimizes harsh shadows and reflections, creating a clean starting point for retouching.

M

Macro Photography

Extreme close-up photography that reveals fine details like gemstone facets, prong settings, and surface textures. Requires specialized macro lenses and is standard practice for high-end jewelry photography.

Metal Reflection

The mirror-like reflections visible on polished metal surfaces in jewelry. Managing reflections is one of the biggest challenges in jewelry photography — they can reveal studio equipment or produce unwanted glare.

Mask

A grayscale image that tells retouching software which pixels to affect and which to leave alone. Pure white = full effect, pure black = no effect, gray = proportional blending. Jewelry retouching relies heavily on masks: subject-from-background masks for background removal, luminosity masks for highlight recovery, and manual masks for cleaning up individual gemstones without affecting the setting.

P

Prong Setting

A gemstone mounting style using metal claws (prongs) to hold the stone in place. In photography, prongs must be sharp and clearly defined — retouching often involves cleaning up the appearance of prong tips.

Pavé Setting

A setting style where many small diamonds are set close together on the jewelry surface, held by tiny beads or prongs, so the metal nearly disappears under the stones. Produces a continuous shimmering field. Pavé requires sharp macro photography (f/8–f/11) to keep every stone in focus; shallow depth-of-field blurs stones at the edges and flattens the effect.

Product Fill

The percentage of the image frame occupied by the product. Amazon requires 85%+ for primary listing images; Etsy recommends 60–80%; Shopify accepts any fill but converts best at 70–85%. Product fill is measured by the smallest axis-aligned bounding box that contains the jewelry. Auto-croppers and the Jewels Retouch photo checker validate this against each platform's rules.

Pure White Background

A product photography background at RGB 255/255/255 (exact) with no gradient, no specular highlight, and no visible edge between product and backdrop. Required by Amazon (primary image), strongly preferred by Walmart and Shopify. Achieved by either overexposing a light-colored backdrop by +2 stops or via post-processing background replacement. The Jewels Retouch photo checker flags white backgrounds that fall below 250 RGB threshold.

R

Retouching

Post-processing adjustments to improve a photograph after it has been captured. In jewelry photography, retouching includes dust removal, scratch correction, sparkle enhancement, background replacement, and color correction.

Resolution

The amount of detail an image holds, measured in pixels (e.g., 4000×3000 pixels). Higher resolution allows customers to zoom in and inspect fine jewelry details. Most marketplaces require at least 1000px on the longest side.

Rose Gold

Gold alloyed with copper (and a touch of silver) to produce a pink hue. Popular in engagement rings and minimalist jewelry. Copper content ranges from ~18% (14k) to ~25% (18k). Rose gold oxidizes slightly over time, developing a warmer patina. For product photography, rose gold reflects warm skin tones well and photographs best under neutral 5000-5500K lighting.

Rhodium Plating

A thin layer of rhodium (a white platinum-group metal) electroplated onto white gold jewelry to give it a bright, hard, mirror-like finish. Wears off over 1–2 years of daily wear and needs re-plating. Photographically, freshly-plated rhodium reflects nearly all visible light evenly — perfect for clean product shots but brutal on any dust or fingerprints, which retouching has to clone out carefully.

RAW File

The unprocessed sensor data from a digital camera, typically 14-bit per channel, containing 2–4 stops more dynamic range than JPEG. RAW formats include Canon CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Adobe DNG. For jewelry photography, always shoot RAW — recovery of blown highlights on metal reflections and shadow detail in deep settings is impossible from JPEG.

Reference Image (AI Retouching)

A second image supplied alongside the target photo to tell the AI model what style, lighting, or composition to match. Used to enforce catalog consistency across hundreds of items. For a seller with 500 rings, uploading one reference image of their 'house style' causes every subsequent retouch to match that lighting direction, background tone, and shadow softness.

S

Shadow Generation

Creating realistic shadows digitally after background removal. Shadows ground the product in space and add depth. Common types include drop shadow, reflection shadow, and natural shadow.

SKU Photography

Systematic product photography where each Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) receives standardized images. Jewelry brands may photograph thousands of SKUs requiring identical presentation for catalog coherence.

Sparkle Enhancement

Digital techniques to amplify the natural sparkle and brilliance of gemstones and diamonds in photographs. Involves carefully increasing highlight intensity at facet edges while maintaining a natural appearance.

Style Reference

A sample image that defines the desired visual look for a batch of retouched photos. Specifies background color, lighting angle, shadow type, and overall aesthetic. Used by Jewels Retouch to ensure every image in a catalog matches.

Solitaire

A jewelry design featuring a single centered stone, most commonly on a plain or minimally-decorated band. Classic solitaires use round-brilliant diamonds but any shape qualifies. The style is defined by the absence of side stones. Photographing solitaires well requires perfect on-axis alignment and a pure-white backdrop so the stone's geometry reads clearly — any background pattern competes with the focal stone.

Surface Reflection

Light that bounces off a jewelry surface at the same angle it arrived — the specular component of light. On polished metal, this produces mirror-like highlights; on matte surfaces, diffused glow. Controlling reflections means controlling the photographed environment — every object within the specular cone of the jewelry will show up in the metal. Skilled jewelry retouching preserves intentional reflections (showing polish) while removing unwanted ones (showing the photographer).

T

Turntable Photography

Using a motorized rotating platform to capture product images from multiple angles (typically 24–72 frames). When combined, these frames create a 360° interactive view for e-commerce listings.

Tarnish

Surface discoloration on precious metals caused by oxidation and reaction with sulfur compounds in air. Silver tarnishes fastest (black or yellow tint), gold and platinum tarnish slowly or not at all. In product photography, tarnish reads as uneven brightness across metal surfaces. Modern AI retouching can remove tarnish without aggressive contrast adjustments that would destroy engraving detail.

W

White Balance

Camera or post-processing adjustment that ensures neutral colors appear neutral — whites look white, not blue or yellow. Critical in jewelry photography where even slight color casts misrepresent metal and gemstone colors.