here are some new quick and dirty renderings i have been working on.
Update: 9/12/07
let me know what you think.
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
Just beautiful work. Extremely convincing.
Scott
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
Andre! These look great! ;D
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
Thanks guys.
my only issue is the platinum color is to dark. like there is too much black i have been playing around with your studio lighting map but I cant get it right yet. 
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
This will drastically increase your render times but it’ll be worth it.
add a second reflection layer to your plat. Set the gloss and highlights to around .75 to .8 and increase the subdivisions of the reflections. This will make the metal have more of a blurry reflection as well as make the light reflections look much glossier.
You can also download HDR Shop or use photoshop to crop the Studio Lighting HDR down to a smaller size with less black. Just don’t take out all the black or we’ll be having a conversation about why its to white lol.
hey, great designs btw!
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
i dunno if this is gonna help.. but this is how the pros take them pics… using a literoom… it could be modeled easily and a translucent material can be applied so that we get nice gradient ligting..
http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/Lighting\_Lessons/Basic\_Lighting/Product\_\_\_Still\_Life/Ring/index.html
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
The only thing you should consider when making a light tent is that currently, if you enclose the stones in something like box, the box will block the environment map used for the stones. I have a request in to Joe to allow us to use total object exclusions on reflections. This will allow us to put stones in something like a light tent without the tent blocking the env reflections.
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
Quick and Dirty Renderings
Are you fooling me? 
Please post the slow and clean Renderings
Greetings Jonas
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
By quick and dirty I mean i just import the model to a standard scene and add the materials. Im working on a catalog where i set up a scene and render 8 rings at a time at 300dpi so those are really quick to me.
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
Here are some tiffany rings i am modeling for my girls graphic design portfolio. its a tie the knot campaign I think we are going to photograph the rope and photo-shop it in it instead of rendering.
* Is there a way i can get the diamond and metal to not reflect so much of the ground the plain?*
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
love the diamond env map for the pear!! its smokin hot! great work!
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
this goes back to my object reflection exclusion request i put in with Joe. I think he’s working on this feature.
Re: Quick and Dirty Renderings
I was happy with the pair except for the white spot. otherwise i feel pretty good about it.