craftgrrl | question: photographing jewelry (Reply)

I really hate my first post being a text-only question, but that's how it goes. =/

I have a lot of jewelry pieces that I would like to photograph.

What I want to know is: Are there any special tips you have to make this go a lot easier?

I've taken a few sample pictures with my camera on different settings, and it's just not working. I have a suspicion that natural light really helps, but are there any other simple tips to make the true essence of the jewelry stand out like it does in real life? I've thought of a light box, but I don't really have the materials right now; if it comes down to that's about all I can do, I'll try to set one up this weekend.

Thanks for any help you can give me! A better post will come soon; I promise.