The business
Angela and her husband Zac run Halo Diamonds together from their boutique in Claremont, Perth. Just the two of them, every day, specializing exclusively in natural diamonds and gemstones. Engagement rings, tennis bracelets, and bespoke fine jewelry, each piece matched to a client like a jeweler playing matchmaker.
No pushy sales. No pressure. Angela lets clients try on as many pieces as they want, ask as many questions as they need, and take their time. For buyers coming in to choose an engagement ring, that kind of guidance makes all the difference.
Zac Di Lallo of Halo Diamonds, Claremont, Perth
The photography challenge
More than half of Halo Diamonds' new clients in the last three to four years found them through Instagram. That means photography is not just marketing. It is the first impression, the showroom, and the trust signal all in one.
In the early days, Angela hired a professional photographer for macro shots. At $150 to $200 AUD per photo per item, costs added up fast. And the results still frustrated her. The images came back over-edited, looking more like renderings than real pieces. That was exactly what she did not want clients to see.
"You want the real photo of the product, not a highly edited version. When clients come in after seeing the photos, they should never be disappointed."
GemIQ's role
Angela tried boxes from several different companies before landing on GemLightbox. She started with the original model and used it for years before upgrading to the GemLightbox Max, and also owns the GemSparkle. She uses all three as part of her daily workflow.
One of the first things she noticed was how naturally it brought out detail. Each ring is captured in full focus from front to back, preserving every element beautifully in a single frame.
Captured with GemLightbox. No edits.
The results
With GemLightbox now central to how Halo Diamonds presents its collection, Angela has seen a clear shift in how clients engage with the business. In Angela's own words:
- Clients arrive in store having already seen accurate images online and are never disappointed
- More than 50% of new clients in the last three to four years found the business through Instagram
- A client in London purchased a $12,900 trilogy engagement ring entirely over FaceTime and has since returned multiple times
- Photography is now used across the business from product listings, insurance documentation, and before and after repair records
- Professional macro photography costs of $150 to $200 AUD per item have been eliminated entirely
For a business like Halo Diamonds, trust is everything. Whether a client walks in from down the road or reaches out from the other side of the world, the photography has to tell the truth. That is exactly what it does now.
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