Building a 3D Product Viewer for Jewellery with Three.js

Description and use

The article details building an interactive 3D product viewer for jewellery using Three.js, enabling customers to rotate and inspect items in the browser. It addresses the limitations of static images by providing detailed 3D interaction. Key considerations include performance optimization through asset compression and using static renders for listings where 3D is impractical.

Problem

Static images fail to communicate the intricate details of jewellery (rings, necklaces, gemstones) effectively in e-commerce interfaces, limiting customer inspection capabilities.

Outcome

A functional 3D product viewer is created that balances visual quality with browser performance, allowing interactive inspection of jewellery while using static renders for broader distribution channels.

Workflow

• Prepare 3D models and export as GLTF/GLB assets.
• Initialize a Three.js scene with a renderer, camera, and lighting.
• Load the GLB model using GLTFLoader.
• Add OrbitControls to enable user interaction (rotation/zoom).
• Optimize assets by reducing polygon counts, compressing textures, and lazy-loading.
• Provide lower-detail models for mobile devices to ensure performance.
• Use traditional rendered images for product listings and social media where 3D is impractical.

Evidence

Interactive 3D product visualization is an interesting way to improve e-commerce interfaces.

Source

The goal is to find the right balance between visual quality and browser performance.

Source