# Jewelry case lighting



## Flatscan (Feb 12, 2004)

I need to light two (maybe three) jewelry cases. These are window cases (clear glass on each side) currently lit by a few small halogen spotlights at the top of the case as well as one or two on the sides, near the top. They have some problems with hotspots, which I assume could be fixed by replacing the bulbs with floods instead. However, the windows are being renovated, so a new light system needs to be installed, anything goes.

The windows are roughly 3ft tall, 3ft wide, and 8-10in deep. Bright, even, full-spectrum? white light needs to make it from recessed lighting above the case to the jewelry display below, at the base of the case. Included in this are 6in tall necklace displays, and it would be a bonus if these cast less defined shadows. The lights are to be turned on at full intensity in the evening and night (while open, averaging 5 hours a day over the course of a year) and dimmed while closed (12 hours a day).

There is a third window that is a little weird. It is the same height and width, roughly, but it is nearly 3ft deep. It also has many glass shelves inside it and has been notoriously difficult to light properly. This window may be renovated away completely, but any suggestion are welcome.

The priority for this application is frequency of replacement, without great increases in cost or power consumption. My initial thought is an array of standard white LEDs, which would run down their 50,000hr lifespan in just over 8 years. I don't have any useful knowledge of Luxeons, but they could be a possibility, as could any other lighting technology.

I just found the LED Specs and Technical Data page at TheLEDLight, so I will be reading through that. I need to nail down how much illumination is needed at the display surface.

Any reading material and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


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## SilverFox (Feb 12, 2004)

Hello Flatscan,

Welcome to CPF.

I believe halogen lights would offer a more uniform color spectrum. LED's tend to vary a bit. Each one may look white when viewed by itself, but get a group together and variations show up.

Another thought is that LED's tend to be a bit on the cool side. I would think that a warmer color light would bring a better response from the people looking at your display.

Welch Allen offers a variety of bulbs and has a lot of information on their site.
http://www.walamp.com/lpd/index.tpl

For accurate lighting, I would take a look at their suggestions for medical lighting.

Tom


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## The_LED_Museum (Feb 12, 2004)

InReTECH has something called the STRIPLED, coming out in about a week (last week of February if I remember correctly).
I have a page about them right here if you're interested.
Jewlery cases, gun safes, ceilings, whatever you need lighted with minimised shadows, the STRIPLED should be appropriate.


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## SilverFox (Feb 12, 2004)

Hello Craig,

That looks great.

Was there much variation between the LED's? The beam shot looks very uniform in color.

Tom


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## The_LED_Museum (Feb 12, 2004)

When operated at full power, there is very little tint or brightness variation from LED to LED. The beam is smooth and uniform, just like the picture shows.


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## Flatscan (Feb 13, 2004)

Thanks for the replies.

We can always fall back on a conventional system if need be. I don't feel like aiming a bunch of halogens myself, though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The STRIPLED looks pretty promising as a drop-in solution, especially with its uniform color throughout. I need to figure out the basic question of whether LED lighting is "natural" enough to best showcase the jewelry. I have a feeling that some tints of white LEDs will work well, while others will be visibly off. *testing time*

A simple home-brew solution is also possible. I had the idea of using a massive array of inexpensive blue LEDs plus white LED condoms for a uniform color without too much trouble. I can do the simple resistor math and solder it all to a protoboard. It won't be the prettiest thing in the world, but it should be okay. How does this idea sound? Is there all that much cost savings over buying a pre-built LED array like the STRIPLED?


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## Wim Hertog (Feb 13, 2004)

Remember that luxeons have a rather low CRI compared to a normal Nichia 5mm LED (70vs85)!


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## The_LED_Museum (Feb 13, 2004)

[ QUOTE ]
*Flatscan said:*
A simple home-brew solution is also possible. I had the idea of using a massive array of inexpensive blue LEDs plus white LED condoms for a uniform color without too much trouble. 

[/ QUOTE ]
You do need to remember that these LED condoms will diffuse the light and provide an effective viewing angle of 180°. And wider viewing angles always mean less overall brightness.
I have a page about JKL 'White Cap' Silicone LED Filters ("LED condoms") right here if you're interested.


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## Flatscan (Feb 13, 2004)

Thanks for the advice and the link. I've been reading your site constantly over the past few days, and I've visited that page a few times. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif At 36 cents an LED (21 for the LED itself, 15 for the cap), my feeling is that I can just add more until they're sufficient. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I don't know if there will be a problem with all that spill, though.

I've been informed that we're going to have a problem pitching a new lighting system to the landlord who will actually pay for all of this. "Full professional installation" of a conventional system will outweigh a whole bunch of advantages, including power consumption, replacement frequency, and cost. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif I should know for sure next week.

In any case, I'm going to pick up 100 "7000mcd" blue 5mm LEDs from Chi Wing and an assortment of JKL WhiteCaps to play with. I think seeing the LEDs in action will give me a much better idea of their capabilities, and I'm sure I can use the finished mini-array for something.


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## Flatscan (Feb 13, 2004)

Apparently, I made up the 15 cents/per WhiteCap price, as I can't find it actually listed anywhere. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Digi-Key lists them as non-stock items for $0.48 a pop. We'll see what JKL says if/when they get back to me.

On the other hand, INRETECH quoted me a price of $60 for the white STRIPLED. This is supposed to be on their site, but I can't find it. This seems like an excellent deal for 63 color-matched LEDs, including resistors and mounting.


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## SilverFox (Feb 13, 2004)

Hello Flatscan,

I found this thread interesting as far as color rendition.
LED's and color rendition 

You might want to take a look.

Tom


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## INRETECH (Feb 14, 2004)

You can purchase the StripLed on our site:

http://www.inretech.com/

-> Purchase
-> Misc
-> StipLed (scroll down)

The price depends on the color (Wavelength), $60 for White

Thinking about putting magnets on the ends and then it can temp mounted - like under a car hood, etc


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## Flatscan (Feb 17, 2004)

JKL sells the WhiteCaps direct, 100pc minimum order, $0.75 ea. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif For color-matched warm white LEDs, I guess that's not too bad, but they have a much more diffuse output, requiring more LEDs for the same lighting application.

That is a bit much for playing around with. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif Guess I'll be building a blue LED array for the time being.


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