Proper store lighting can attract far more customers to any establishment, help sell far more product, and strengthen a store’s image. Quite a few designers argue that the most vital element of a store’s design might be its lighting. Regrettably, lighting is frequently the most neglected component of store design.
When selecting the lighting for any store or display cases, here are some ideas to keep in mind.
Ceiling Height: The height of a store’s ceiling is one of the most important factors that goes into a plan for lighting a jewelry store in such a way that the merchandise looks spectacular. As the source of light moves farther away from the merchandise the power and intensity of the light diminishes. Stores with higher ceilings (over 9′) face some challenges with lighting. Stores with ceiling which are taller either have to use much more lights which might be spaced closer together to illuminate a showcase or bring the light source closer by dropping down a track or utilizing a pendant.
Color: The color of light is measure in Kelvin (temperature). The higher the temperature (Kelvin) reading the cooler the color of light as well as the lower the temperature the warmer the color. For instance a light that is 3000K could be a warmer color and a light that’s 4000K could be a cooler light. As the temperature of light gets too high (over 4200K) the color of the light begins to take on a blue high quality. Lights which might be within the 5500K to 6500K will look “blue” to the eye.
Bulb Life/Quality: How long a bulb is expected to last is based upon its “rated life”. The better bulbs have a rated life in excess of 10,000 hours. The quality of a bulb may also be measured by its CRI (Color Rendition Index). The higher the CRI of a bulb the much better the high quality of the light that it projects might be. CRI numbers over 80 signify a very high quality of light. CRI numbers over 90 signify an exemplary quality of light.
Power of Light: The power of a bulb is measured in lumens. The amount of light that’s generated is measured in Lux or, additional commonly, in foot-candles (“fc”). The higher the lumens the higher the amount of foot-candles that can be generated by the bulb.
Different Light Sources: You will discover three major sources of light that are used in Jewelry stores. They are (1) Ceramic Metal Halide (2) Halogen (3) Fluorescent. LED technology is being used much more and far more but is still far behind the most important three. The very best source of lighting for jewelry is still Ceramic Metal Halide. This is due to its qualities. They are energy efficient, powerful (lumens over 6000), come in warm and cool colors (3000K to 4200K) has exceptional CRI (over 80 and in most circumstances over 90 CRI) and can present foot-candles that could exceed 400. Halogens are hot, have lower CRI’s, don’t maintain their color over the life of the bulb and are about a quarter to a third of power of a ceramic metal halide. Fluorescents are energy efficient but do not project enough power to be helpful in a jewelry store when it comes to illuminating merchandise.
LED’s are the “buzz” but they have limitations and issues. LED technology is continuously changing. An LED fixture you obtain these days is (as in the case of a personal computer system) might be outdated within a year. Keeping a consistent color of the LED over time can be problematic as a result of the adjustments in LED technology. LED’s can make jewelry look fantastic inside of the showcase but are not powerful sufficient to be placed over the case where the sale is basically produced. On account of this limitation, a unique source of light is required above the showcase like ceramic metal halide or halogen. This is where the difficulties happen. What occurs is that there are two distinct sources of light every generating a piece of jewelry look different. As an example … a customer see’s a piece of jewelry inside of a showcase being lit by an LED strip. They ask to have the salesperson take it out for them to see it. It can be taken out and is now over the glass being illuminated by a Different light source which makes the piece look diverse. The customer begins to wonder if the lighting inside the case is there to “trick” them into thinking the jewelry looks excellent. As sales are finalized on the “glass” having a light source that makes the jewelry look the very same inside the case as it does above the case is vital to closing a sale.
Recommendations:
(1) Most designers who recognize the proper approach to light a jewelry store will tell you that you light “for diamonds” along with the rest of one’s merchandise will survive do just fine AND that if you light for gold your diamonds will die. Diamonds call for a bright white light that supplies enough power to make them sparkle. Diamonds ought to be shown beneath lights which might be in the 4000 -4200K range. This provides a lovely white color that stops short of taking on blue color qualities. Gold and warmer colored stones look the very best under warmer colored lights 3000K to 3500K. Nevertheless, if a store is going to use a single color of light throughout its showcases then the adage of “lighting for diamonds” will be the way to proceed.
(2) Make certain that lighting is powerful sufficient to create a minimum of 200fc. Having light that’s less than 200fc is universally agreed to be lower than the minimum amount of light to properly light jewelry, specifically diamonds. Readings of between 200 and 400fc is the optimum amount of light power over a showcase depending on the store owner’s personal preference as to the amount of light that they believe looks greatest.
(3) Have ambient or general lighting be warmer and less powerful than the lighting over the showcases. The human eye is attracted to brighter light. If the general lighting in a store will be the same color and power as that over the showcases then there might be nothing to attract the customers to the showcases and the store will have a cold non-inviting feel to it. By having the general (ambient) lighting less powerful (about 75fc) and of a warmer color (between 2500 and 300K) the lighting over the merchandise will stand out and attract the consumer to the circumstances.
(4) When lighting a window display that has natural sunlight shining into it use twice the amount of light that could be commonly utilized over a showcase as a way to combat the power of the sun.
When upgrading lighting the trend is commonly a change from Halogen technology. Customers who are utilizing Halogen and who switch to ceramic metal halide will notice an immediate difference in the quality and power of the light, the decrease in heat and the remarkable change that it makes to their merchandise.
Items to consider when selecting the type of lighting:
Track: This provides the most versatility as fixtures can be moved and repositioned with ease. If merchandise is moved from case to case or showcases are moved track lighting gives the store owner with the most options.
Recessed: This provides the sleekest look. The limitations are that the store owner will likely be limited in their ability to add or decrease light in addition to limitations with moving merchandise and showcases around inside of the store. Once a recessed light is installed the price to add or take away lighting becomes a significant expense as electricians are required to remove/move lighting along with the concerns involved with repairing the holes in the ceiling where the recessed fixture was installed.
Pendants: Pendants are a fantastic approach to bring a light source closer to the showcases where the ceilings are high along with the store owners do not wish to spend the money required to add extra lights to compensate for high ceilings.
Inside of Showcase Lighting: Having lighting inside of a showcase can really add sparkle and glitter to your jewelry. The best lighting for inside a case is LED. Be careful though when selecting the LED to make certain that the color of the light just isn’t blue (5500K = color range). Having one color shining on your merchandise inside the case along with a distinct color shining on your merchandise above the case has the actual possible to lose a sale. Stores do not want their customers to be attracted to how jewelry and diamonds looks inside only to have it look unique on top of the glass where the sale is basically closed. Customers will feel that stores are trying to trick them via the use of fancy lighting.