Jewelry shop lighting

Jewelry Discussion
1

I am converting my very dark 70’s panelled basement into jewelry
studio. What kind of lighting does everyone use? Is it worth the
extra money to have “day light” fluorescents put in?

Please share you ideas.

Sue
email:@suzanne.angell

2

Is it worth the extra money to have “day light” fluorescents put in?
I think it is. I use one ‘grow lite’ the kind that are used to grow
plants indoors (they seem to be a bit less expensive than the ones
that are labled "day light,) and one regular light.

3 
I am converting my very dark 70's panelled basement into jewelry
studio. What kind of lighting does everyone use? Is it worth the
extra money to have "day light" fluorescents put in?

Sue,

I have been using “day light” fluorescents, the type that are
instant on, absolutely no flicker. I am very happy with the quality
of the light. Joel

Joel Schwalb
@Joel_Schwalb

4 
 Is it worth the extra money to have "day light" fluorescents put
in?

I have regular fluorescent lighting in my studio, and an incandescent
desk lamp-- but I also have a 48"-square skylight, which is not an
option in a basement! If you are going to spend a lot of time down
there, it is probably worth the extra cost for “happier” lighting, if
it is not ruinously expensive.

Noel

5

Hi Sue,

I’m guessing that your shop’s lighting needs will tuurn out to be
partially straightforward, and partially subjective. Here’s what I
mean by that… Two years ago, when I designed and started building
my basement workshop, lighting was as major a concern to me as I’m
sure it is to you. I don’t know how large your shop is, or how high
the ceilings, but in my case, I had just enough space for 2-12x10’
rooms (office and metals studio) and an 11x9’ for my lapidary
studio, all with 6 1/2’ ceilings. Under those conditions, the long
fluorescent tubes would’ve been oppressive, so I opted for recessed
lighting cans with white plastic baffles (four per room), in which
I’ve mounted those 15W fluorescent ‘corkscrew’ lightbulbs. Each set
of four is controlled by a single switch, and each room’s lighting
(and outlets) are on dedicated circuits.

Onto each of the four workbenches in the metals studio (i.e. wax
modeling, metalsmithing, polishing & steaming, and rolling/milling)
and on those in the lapidary room, I’ve bolted black 36" Moffatt
gooseneck lamps with 60-75 watt standard coated incandescent bulbs,
so I have a combination of ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ lighting wherever I want
or need it. In the office, I’m using GE’s “Reveal” (daylight coated)
60W incandescents in inexpensive white drafting lamps, because serve
the same purpose as the standard bulbs, but do so with a lighter,
brighter output that seems to lend itself better to paperwork. For
what it’s worth, I’d originally tried using these bulbs in the
overhead light cans, but I found their energy usage, glare and heat
output a bit excessive. (Hope this’s been of use to you, Sue.)

Best of luck,

Doug
Douglas Turet, G.J.,Turet Design
P.O. Box 242
Avon, MA 02322-0242
Tel: (508) 586-5690 Fax: (508) 586-5677
doug. at .turetdesign.com