What camera do I need to photograph gold-plated jewelry?

Start with what you have: a smartphone

Most 2021-or-newer phones shoot sharp, detailed close-ups in macro or portrait mode. The real limitations are consistency and low-light noise when you scale to dozens of products per week. If you sell a small range or post mainly to Instagram and TikTok, a phone plus a small lightbox is enough to look credible.

The sample above shows a controlled tabletop setup - the same principle works with a phone on a mini tripod.

When a dedicated camera pays off

If you manage a large catalog, choose a mirrorless or entry-level DSLR with: (1) a true macro lens (90mm is ideal for jewelry, giving working distance and low distortion); (2) manual focus or focus peaking to nail the stone; (3) RAW capture for editing headroom; (4) a hot-shoe or tripod mount. This is exactly the class of setup our own studio uses to photograph 40,000+ in-stock designs with consistent framing.