Tiffany & Co. Boutique Lighting Project
Project: Tiffany & Co. Boutique — Chengdu IFS L1 Relighting
Location: L1-118, Chengdu IFS, 1 Hongxing Road, Jinjiang District, Chengdu, China
Scope: 320 m² sales floor + 4 VIP rooms + window display · 186 luminaires · in-case mini-LED + brand-spec accent track
Delivered: Q2 2024 — 12 nights, store traded normally during the day
Why a luxury jeweller relights every 5 years
LVMH's 2023 retail audit set new in-store lighting standards across all Tiffany boutiques globally — and the 2019 install at Chengdu IFS fell short on three measurable counts. First, the in-case spots were 4000 K with CRI 88 — diamonds were testing "cold and dull" against the new brand benchmark of 3500 K / CRI 95+ for maximum fire and brilliance. Second, conversion-rate analytics showed the engagement-ring island had a 14% lower close rate than the average Tiffany boutique in mainland China, traced to glare on the diamond as soon as the customer leaned in. Third, the existing halogen accent track was eating ¥38,000/month in just energy and lamp replacement — and IFS had announced a 25% mall-wide energy reduction target for 2025.
The mall doesn't allow daytime construction. 12 nights, 23:30 to 06:00. No exceptions.
In-case mini-LED replaces external spots — light source is now inches from the stone, sparkle is direct, customer's hand never casts a shadow on what they came to see.
What we installed
| Zone | Fixture | Optic | CCT | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement-ring island | XHLWX gem-spec mini-LED 1.5 W | 8° pinspot | 3500 K | CRI 97, R9 95, in-case (zero glare to customer eye) |
| General display cases | XHLWX D62 mini track 5 W | 15° / 24° | 3500 K | CRI 95, dimmable to 5% via DALI |
| Sales counter (closing zone) | Adjustable downlight 9 W | 36° | 3000 K | warmer, flattering to skin during close |
| VIP room (4×) | Pendant 18 W + accent track | 24° | tunable 2700–4000 K | DALI scene "Bridal" / "Anniversary" / "Evening" |
| Window display | High-output mini-spot 8 W | 10° | 4000 K | brighter & cooler to beat mall ambient, max sparkle |
| Ambient | Indirect cove + recessed downlight 9 W | 60° | 3500 K | low ambient (200 lx) for contrast ratio |
All accent fixtures pass the LVMH 2023 spec: CRI Ra ≥95, R9 ≥85, R12 ≥80, CCT 3500 K ±100, flicker Pst LM <0.4.
Closing zone at the counter — 3000 K task light is intentionally warmer than the display floor, flatters customer's skin and the ring on her finger.
The three pain points, solved
1. "Diamonds look cold and dull" — the old 4000 K / CRI 88 fixtures clipped the red and orange spectrum (R9 was 12). Diamond fire depends on the full spectrum being intact — a low-R9 source kills the warm flashes inside the stone. We moved every display case to 3500 K with CRI 97 / R9 95 in-case mini-LEDs. On the brand's standardized "fire test" (4-carat round brilliant, fixed camera, 30 fps), measurable flash count rose from 142 → 218 per second. Customers don't count flashes, but they feel it — the ring "comes alive".
2. "Glare when customer leans in" — the original 4 W external spots above each case sent light past the diamond and straight into the customer's pupil at 60 cm viewing distance, measured UGR 23. The new in-case mini-LED is at 8° pinspot, 5 cm above the stone, hidden behind the velvet step. UGR at the same viewing position: 11. Customer can lean within 20 cm of the diamond and still see only sparkle, no source.
3. "¥38k/month on lighting alone" — connected load fell from 11.4 kW to 4.8 kW (-58%). With DALI scene dim during low-traffic hours (07:00–11:00 and after 21:30), measured average draw is 3.1 kW. Monthly cost: ¥9,200. Saving: ¥28,800/month, ¥345,000/year. Payback on the full retrofit: 18 months. Lamp-replacement labor (halogen failed every 8–10 months): eliminated.
Window display — high-output 4000 K spots overpower the IFS mall ambient, brand color holds, jewelry on the mannequins still sparkles from 8 m away.
How the smart control actually works
DALI-2 control runs four scenes the store manager can recall from a wall tablet:
- Opening (10:00–12:00): 100% display, 80% ambient — bright, energetic
- Standard (12:00–18:00): 100% display, 60% ambient — featured-display contrast
- Premium (18:00–21:00): 100% display, 40% ambient — evening jewel-box mood
- Closing (21:30–22:00): 60% display, 20% ambient — wind-down, security ambient
VIP rooms have three independent scenes: Bridal (3000 K, soft), Anniversary (2700 K, warm-romantic), and Daylight Evaluation (4000 K, cool, for color-matching against natural light). Each takes a 20-second cross-fade so customers never see the change.
Engagement-ring island — each bell-jar case has its own ring of integrated LED accent, 3500 K / CRI 97. Mirrored ceiling doubles the perceived sparkle.
Numbers that matter to the regional retail director
| Metric | Before (2019 install) | After (2024) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connected load | 11.4 kW | 4.8 kW | -58% |
| Average draw (operating hours) | 8.7 kW | 3.1 kW | -64% |
| Monthly energy cost | ¥38,000 | ¥9,200 | -¥28,800 |
| Annual saving (energy + lamps) | — | ¥345,000 | — |
| Display CRI | Ra 88, R9 12 | Ra 97, R9 95 | LVMH-compliant |
| Engagement-island UGR | 23 | 11 | best-in-class |
| Diamond "flash count" (brand test) | 142/sec | 218/sec | +54% |
| Engagement-ring close rate (90 days post) | benchmark -14% | benchmark +6% | turnaround |
Standards we held the project to
- LVMH Group Retail Lighting Spec 2023 — CRI ≥95, R9 ≥85, R12 ≥80, flicker Pst LM <0.4
- CIBSE LG07 (2022) for luxury retail UGR ≤16 at customer eye position
- EN 12464-1 task lux for VIP room close zone (500 lx at jewelry tray)
- DALI-2 DT6 dimming, addressable per case
- IFS Mall 2025 energy target: hit, -58% connected load
Why XHLWX
For brand-locked retail, the answer always starts with: can you match the spec? We can — every fixture ships with a third-party LM-79 / LM-80 report, and our R9, R12, R13 numbers print directly on the data sheet (not hidden behind "CRI 95+"). For Chengdu IFS specifically: we delivered in 12 night-shift sessions versus the original European supplier's 4-week minimum, at 47% of their price, with on-site individual gimbal aiming alongside the visual merchandiser. Tiffany's APAC store-design team has since used the same spec for two other mainland boutiques.
If you run a luxury jewelry, watch or accessory boutique where conversion is sliding and the energy bill is climbing — and the brand mandates CRI 95+ — the same in-case mini-LED + DALI scene system applies. Send us the floor plan and a list of vitrine sizes; spec'd photometric study back in 5 working days.