LUMIBRIGHT
Lighting for retail interiors, vitrines and jewellery display
Application inspiration · not a project reference
Retail lighting balances general illumination with emphasis on merchandise and displays. Layout, aiming and the relationship between light and materials should be coordinated with the exact models and the changing display scheme.
Project photographs and references
Retail lighting has one job: make the product the brightest, best-rendered thing in the room. That is a contrast exercise - a controlled ambient level, then accent light three to five times higher on the merchandise, with high R9 so reds and gold read correctly and tight optics so the case glitters instead of the ceiling. Jewellery adds a heat and sparkle requirement that decides the fitting more often than the lumen figure does.
Selection criteria
How to specify
- Set the accent-to-ambient ratio first (3:1 for fashion, 5:1 or more for jewellery), then pick the ambient level.
- For vitrines, specify the aperture and heat limit before the lumen package - a 24 degree, low-heat miniature spot beats a brighter fitting that warms the case.
- Ask for R9 explicitly. CRI 90 alone can still render reds and gold poorly.
- Use track or a modular system where the merchandising layout changes seasonally; use fixed trimless optics where it does not.
- Confirm the dimming curve at low output - retail schemes spend most of their life between 20% and 60%.
Recommended categories
Frequently asked questions
What CRI and R9 should jewellery lighting have?
CRI 95 with R9 above 90 for diamond and gold display. R9 is the deep-red component that makes gold, rubies and skin tone read correctly; a CRI 90 fitting with low R9 will make a warm metal look flat.
What beam angle works inside a display case?
10 to 24 degrees from a small aperture. A point source creates the sparkle that sells stones; a wide, diffuse source removes it.
How do I stop display cases heating up?
Use miniature remote-driver spots with the driver outside the case, keep the wattage low and the beam tight, and check the stated ambient temperature (Ta) for the fitting.
Track or recessed spots for a retail fit-out?
Track (or a magnetic system) where the merchandising changes; recessed or trimless where the architecture is fixed. Both are available on the same optics and colour temperatures.