How do you ensure that jewelry retains its natural shine and reflections while retouching?

Answer 1

Great question - The goal is to clean it up without flattening or over-smoothing. Here are the main practices in Photoshop to make sure jewelry keeps its natural sparkle:

1. Use adjustment layers rather than editing directly onto the original photo. In these layers, you can tweak curves, hue/saturation, etc
2. Avoid heavy use of the Clone Stamp or Healing Brush on shiny areas—these tools can smudge natural reflections
3. Make sure to deepen shadows and boost highlights using the Levels (or Curves) adjustments
4. The Dodge and Burn tools can be useful for small enhancements to natural shadows or highlights

Answer 2

The key is controlled dodge and burn to enhance highlights without overexposing, and careful frequency separation to remove imperfections without affecting the metal or gemstone texture. I also use reflection control techniques—such as manually refining reflections with soft brushes and masks—to maintain a realistic yet flawless appearance. Additionally, I adjust color balance and contrast selectively to make precious metals and stones pop without looking artificial.