Jewelry Display Lighting

Ideally, jewelry and curio display lights should be heavily glare shielded so as to angle the light toward the merchandise and only reflect enough light back into the eyes to make it sparkle. The remaining illumination should evenly “wash” over the surface of metal and gemstones , showcasing contours, cuts, and any engravings over the surface.

The more three-dimensional the elements look, the more valuable a piece of jewelry appears to the eye. Too much light will create glaring “white” spots on gold, diamonds, and silver pieces and flatten their appearance. Too little light will fail to add the necessary sparkle that is essential to high-ticket merchandising.
It is a good idea to use a low-voltage linear lighting strips equipped with dimmer controls that will allow you to adjust your jewelry display lights to the precise levels necessary to showcase a given piece or collection of items. One advantage this offers you is the ability to use the same show case for different pieces on a rotating basis and simply adjust the lighting installation any tyime you setup a new display.

Low voltage equipment is also a great power saver that help will minimize your overhead. Particularly if you are operating a small, family store or single-site facility, cost effective low voltage cabinet lighting can make your store look high-end without the burden of high expenditures.

As for the actual bulb types used in jewelry display lighting, much of the choice falls on the style and colors of the items being showcased. Fluorescent lights, long-favored for their power saving value, are still used in some jewelry showcases, although not the extent that they once were. Other forms of low voltage display lighting have become competitive with fluorescents in terms of power savings, and these other bulb types tend to produce better types of lighting as well. High-ticket merchandise generally requires a light source more appropriate to its dimensions and color than fluorescent is normally able to provide

Pearl, silver, and light colored jewelry such as opal can be displayed under incandescent lamps that bring out the whites, off whites, and the glint of 14K gold. For warmer colors like those seen in an emerald, a more robust light source makes for a better source of jewelry display lighting. Either low voltage xenon lights, which cast something of a “golden” aura around the subject, or specialty LED lights available in a plethora of colors work well to enhance both the darker colors and multi-dimensional appearance of exquisitely cut, rare jewelry.