Hey friends! 👋
One of the most common questions I get is:
“How do you get your gemstones to look so realistic and colorful in Daz Studio?”
Honestly, it’s not as complicated as people think. You can use a full 3-point lighting setup—but the real secret?
👉 A colorful HDRI.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how I light my gemstone jewelry scenes using just a vibrant HDRI and 2 or 3 spotlights. It’s simple, fast, and gives you that deep, rich sparkle that brings your renders to life.
And yes—you can download the exact HDRI I use (screenshot below) for free personal use at the bottom of this article! 🎉
✨ Step 1: Load Your Jewelry Scene
Open Daz Studio and load your Genesis 8 or 9 Female, then add your jewelry prop. Frame your camera for a nice close-up shot—off-center angles often work best to capture depth and light play.
🌈 Step 2: Add a Colorful HDRI (The Secret Weapon)
Neutral HDRIs are fine for portraits, but if you want your gems to really pop, you need color variation in your reflections. That’s why I use a custom HDRI filled with soft blues, reds, pinks, and yellows. It reflects off gemstone surfaces and adds instant life.
Here’s a preview of what that HDRI looks like:
In Daz Studio:
- Go to Render Settings > Environment.
- Set Environment Mode to
Dome and Scene. - Load the HDRI into the Environment Map.
- Keep Environment Intensity around
1.0(or lower if you want softer reflections).
🔦 Step 3: Add a Top Spotlight
This is your main light source that brings out the shine and cuts through shadows.
- Create a new spotlight and move it above the jewelry at a 45° angle.
- Set Temperature to
6000K. - Set Intensity to
150–200%. - Keep Render Emitter off.
🔵 Optional Filler Lights
You can add 1 or 2 side lights for more control:
-
Left Filler Light: Set temperature to
8000K(cool blue). -
Right Filler Light: Set temperature to
4000K(warm orange). - Set intensity around
100%each.
Use both if you want a stronger cinematic look, or just one if the HDRI already provides rich ambient light.
👁️ Step 5: Adjust, Preview & Render
Use Iray Preview Mode to watch how your lights and HDRI interact. Rotate the dome for different light angles. Gemstones love reflections—tiny changes can bring huge results.
Once you're happy, hit render and let Daz Studio work its magic! 💎
📥 Free HDRI Download
I’ve included the HDRI I use for my own gemstone product renders. You can use it in personal projects and experiments—it’s totally free!
Please don’t redistribute the file, but feel free to share this blog post with fellow Daz3D artists!
🛒 Looking for Gemstone Jewelry for Daz3D?
Check out my full collection of 3D gemstone earrings, pendants, and more for Genesis 8 and 9:
Thanks for reading, and I hope this setup helps you bring your gemstone scenes to life! Feel free to reach out or tag me if you post renders using it—I’d love to see them.
Happy rendering,
— Acharya
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