John mentions (in his graphic above) tape marks for repeatability, which brings up an important point.

Position the light stands far enough back to accommodate the largest piece and mark the locations. Use them in that location even for the smaller pieces and the exposures will always be the same. Use quartz halogen lamps or strobes. If you use old fashioned incandescent lamps they will get dimmer and warmer in color as they age.

If you're doing a portfolio or a catalog, something with images of several products, consistency across images makes it look far more professional. 

If I understand correctly Nick, you've got a number of items like what you showed us.  If they're all flat, I submit that (photographically) they're all the same, much like photographing, say, book covers.  Get the setup right and you should be able to knock out the shots bam, bam, bam.  John's tape marks together with notes on camera settings and light heights should allow you to duplicate the shooting environment next time.

If your work differs in the glossiness of the finish, get your setup to work properly with the shiny stuff.  It'll give you the most trouble.  After that a satin-finished object of the same kind should be no problem at all.

One of the biggest problems to overcome is the point nature of most lighting.  That single point will end up as an obvious spot on a shiny surface.  What you want is as broad a source of light as possible, diffused and even.  This is where those big "softboxes" the pros use come in.  It helps if the softbox is bigger than the subject--I photograph jewelry and I'm seriously wanting a 36"x36" (~900x900 mm) box.
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A Westcott Softbox

You can make large diffusion panels from practically nothing.  I've got a roll of Drafting Vellum paper (36" x 5yds, 914x 4.6m, 19 USD) and use 1/2" (13mm) PVC to make the frame.

BTW, you might be interested in looking at this:  MFT:  Tabletop photography.  It's got some pics that might be interesting here.

Ned

Nick

Some browsing material: calumet
I buy virtually all of my photo supplies from them.

Scott W.

Cubes are handy for small reflective 3D objects like those Ned mentioned and those pictured in hie post. A cube is designed for 3/4 views of objects so I don't think a cube would be of any use in shooting the medallions.

Do you think that cube could improve my pics using the digital camera I have?

Nickao

I'm inclined to think you should follow John's advice.  After trying the cube approach, I'm now on the path John was talking about. 

I mentioned a sterling silver spoon.  The d***d thing's nothing but a funny-shaped mirror.  If you're not careful, the entire room will be visible as a reflection in the spoon.  The cube was helpful by completely surrounding the spoon and guaranteeing no hot spots.  I even went so far as to take a piece of foamboard, cut a lens-sized hole and tape it to the front of the camera.  Combination peep hole/reflector.  Even more sophisticated would be a split-prism so that I could illuminate the subject completely, without seeing the lens at all.  Haven't done that yet.  The spoon, small and troublesome, was a good use for the cube.

What the cube does is diffuse the light.  I don't think it would be comfortable for you to use, just plain awkward.  For you, I think the ideal would be a large softbox, providing a lot of even light.  I'm no pro, but that opinion is based on trying to do good shots of large book covers (glossy, flat) and being driven batty by reflections that were clearly the lights, even with their (small) diffusion covers on.

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Not bad for eBay, but not pro.  Critiques welcome.

But back to Nick's problem.  I think what you want is large, diffuse light source(s).  You can create your own transluscent screens (vellum paper, plastic pipe).  You can try building your own softboxes (try Google).  You can buy a ready-made softbox.  As always, good manufactured softboxes have a lot of engineering in their apparently simple construction--like the MFS.

BTW, the actual light generator is a separate question.  A softbox or home-built screen is just a diffuser.  Another choice you get to make is the source of the light--halogen worklights, incandescent photofloods, fluorescents, flash, and on into more exotic types.  A softbox can be used with photofloods, fluorescents, or flash (assuming the box is rated for the heat of the photofloods).  I think this whole light type subject needs to be a separate thread.

You're lucky, really.  The subject won't be moving (won't even swing forever as earrings do when I hang them).  It's flat, so depth of field isn't a problem.  I think the only things you need to work on are lighting and repeatability.

Ned

Actually one of the perks of photography is that in many instances the product photographed does not need to be returned (like in the shot below)
Maybe i should apply at Festool to photograph their products, who knows maybe they have the same policy

Thanks Ned.  I appreciate the advice.  I will try it.  It looks like Johne creates his own cube using diffusing material, whereas the cube comes pre-packaged and ready to use.  Do I have that right?

Dave

Often abbreviated further to "645". You probably already concluded that the RZ67 is 60mm by 70mm. A lot of people don't like the square format of Hasselblad and the older twin-lens reflex cameras. 6X9 is the format I like, or rather, can afford. I'd rather shoot 5X7 (inches) but the cost/hassle is prohibitive. I do like the deliberative process of using a view camera though.