How to Choose a Jewelry Rendering Studio: Ten Questions to Ask Before You Send a File
A neutral ten-question checklist for comparing jewelry rendering and CAD studios: files, revisions, pricing, NDA, specs, turnaround, bulk runs and delivery.
Updated 21 September 2026
Most jewellery rendering studios show the same thing on their homepage: a handful of beautiful renders and a price. That tells you what the best-case output looks like and nothing about what it is like to work with them. The questions below are the ones that separate a studio you can build a catalogue with from one you will be re-briefing every week. Ask all ten before you send a file; a studio that answers them plainly, in writing, is already ahead.
Why these ten and not a portfolio review
A portfolio proves the studio can render. It does not tell you whether they can render your piece from what you have, whether the file you get back is one your caster can use, or what happens when the first draft is wrong. Those are process questions, and process is where rendering projects go wrong: a beautiful image of the wrong stone count is worthless. Each question below has a reason it matters and a description of what a good answer looks like, so you can judge the reply rather than the pitch.
The ten questions
| # | Question | Why it matters | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Can you work from a sketch or a photograph, or only from a CAD file? | If you have no CAD, a rendering-only studio sends you elsewhere first and the project stalls. | A yes with a price for the CAD step, and a description of what they need in the sketch (views, measurements, stones, metal). |
| 2 | Which files do I receive, and do I own them once I have paid? | A render without the model behind it locks you to the studio for every future variant. | Named formats - a 3DM for further editing and an STL for printing and casting - and a plain statement that the paid file is yours. |
| 3 | Are revisions included, and on what? | Unlimited revisions is a marketing line; a number with a scope is a policy. | A stated number of revisions and what they cover (usually the CAD design), with re-renders after a design change quoted separately. |
| 4 | Is the price per design or per image, and is it published? | Per-image pricing makes a twelve-image listing set unpredictable; unpublished pricing makes comparison impossible. | A published per-design starting price and a list of what that price includes. |
| 5 | Do you sign an NDA, and is delivery unbranded? | Unreleased designs leak through portfolios and social posts more often than through hacking. | NDA on request before files move, and files delivered without the studio's name on them so you can present the work as your own. |
| 6 | Can you show one model in three metal colours from the same camera? | This is the single most useful test of a real 3D pipeline: it proves the render comes from a model, not a retouched photo. | A yellow, rose and white gold set of one piece, identical angle and lighting, on request or already in the portfolio. |
| 7 | What resolution and formats do you deliver, and do they meet my channel's rules? | Etsy, Amazon and Shopify each have minimum sizes and background rules; an image that fails them is a reshoot. | A stated pixel size, the file formats, and awareness of the marketplace rules you name. |
| 8 | What is the standard first-draft time, and is it written down? | A promise made on a sales call is not a policy; a sentence on the website is. | One published turnaround statement, and a plain answer about what happens when a job is bigger than standard. |
| 9 | How do you handle a run of 100 pieces? | Consistency across a catalogue is harder than one hero image; lighting drift between batches shows on a category page. | A batching method, a first-batch approval step before the rest is produced, and bulk pricing quoted per project rather than guessed. |
| 10 | How do files reach me, and how long are they kept? | A WeTransfer link that expires in a week is a problem in month three when you need a variant. | A named delivery method (a download link on the studio's own server, for example) and a stated retention period, so you know when to archive. |
Three answers that should worry you
- "We render in the software you name." Software is not the deliverable. A studio that leads with tool names instead of file formats and specs is answering a question you did not ask.
- "Unlimited revisions." Either the price already contains a large margin for them, or the studio will start counting after the third round. A number with a scope is more honest and easier to plan around.
- "Send the file and we will quote." Reasonable for a complex piece, but if there is no published starting price at all, you cannot compare the studio with anyone and the quote can move once the work is under way.
What to send with the first enquiry
The quality of the answers depends on the quality of the question. Send one real piece rather than a description: a sketch or a photograph, the metal and stone details you know, the channel the images will run on, and how many pieces are coming after this one. A studio that asks follow-up questions about size, metal and stones before quoting is doing the job properly; one that quotes without asking is guessing.
- A sketch, a photograph, a reference image or an existing CAD file for one piece
- Metal, stone type and any measurements you already know, in millimetres
- Which marketplace or website the images are for
- How many pieces are in the range, if this is the first of many
- Whether you need stills only, or video and animation as well
How Maulshree answers the ten questions
For comparison, here is the same checklist answered from what this studio publishes on its own pages. Everything below is on the pricing page or the service pages; nothing is a special offer.
| # | Maulshree's published answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Yes - a sketch, a photograph, a reference image or an existing CAD file. CAD design starts at $10 per design and the renders are made from that model. |
| 2 | A CAD order delivers the 3DM and STL files plus a CAD detail image listing every measurement, the diamond count and the metal weight in 10kt, 14kt, 18kt, silver and platinum. Once paid for, the CAD file is yours. |
| 3 | Up to 3 revisions on the CAD design. |
| 4 | Per design, published: CAD from $10, rendering from $20 (the Website Combo - 12 images in 3 metal colours across 4 angles, 3 product videos and a 360-degree rotation video), Etsy Combo $30, animation from $50. |
| 5 | NDA on request before files move; delivery is unbranded and client work is shown without names, logos or collection titles. |
| 6 | Yes - the metal-tone set is what the Website Combo is, and the portfolio shows it. |
| 7 | Images at 1920 x 1920 pixels as PNG and JPG; video as MP4. The Etsy and Amazon image guides on this site set out each marketplace's rules. |
| 8 | Standard CAD, rendering and animation first drafts are delivered in 2 days, without compromising quality. |
| 9 | Bulk work is quoted per project; the bulk catalogue page describes how a run is briefed, batched and approved. |
| 10 | Files are delivered as a download link on the studio's own server. Ask about retention when you brief - it is the right question for any studio, this one included. |
Ready to test the answers on a real piece? Upload a sketch or CAD file and the first reply will be questions about size, metal and stones - which is the point.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important question to ask a jewelry rendering studio?
Which files you receive and whether you own them once paid. A render without the editable CAD model behind it ties every future variant to that studio; the 3DM and STL files are what make the work reusable.
Should a rendering studio publish its prices?
A published per-design starting price with a list of what it includes is the only way to compare studios fairly. Quotes on request are reasonable for complex pieces, but a studio with no published starting price at all cannot be compared with anyone.
How can I tell if a studio really works in 3D?
Ask for one piece in yellow, rose and white gold from the same camera angle. A true 3D pipeline produces that set by changing the material on one model; a retouching workflow cannot do it consistently.
Is unlimited revisions a good sign?
Usually not. Either the price already carries a margin for endless rounds, or the studio starts counting after the third. A stated number of revisions with a stated scope is easier to plan around and more honest.
What should I send when asking for a quote?
One real piece - a sketch, photograph, reference image or CAD file - with the metal, stones and any measurements in millimetres, the channel the images are for, and how many pieces follow. A good studio replies with questions before a price.
Does the studio need to be in my country?
No. Files and feedback move by email or upload form, and a studio in another time zone can turn briefs around overnight. What matters is the written process: NDA, file ownership, published pricing and a stated turnaround.
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