What color of LED light to use for display of minerals? Cool or warm?

AI Thread Summary
When displaying a rock and mineral collection in glass door cabinets, using LED under-the-counter lights is a practical choice due to their low heat output and energy efficiency. The discussion centers around the choice between warm and cool LED lights, with warm lights resembling incandescent bulbs and cool lights resembling older fluorescent lights. While halogen lights are commonly used by mineralogists for their brightness, they generate excessive heat and consume more power, making them unsuitable for continuous use. For optimal display, cool lights are recommended as they provide a more accurate representation of the minerals, aligning with the Kelvin color temperature scale for realism. Additional suggestions for enhancing the display are welcomed.
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I'm going to display my rock and mineral collection in glass door cabinets in the living room. I've found some LED under-the-counter lights, 21 small LED lights per 2-ft string. I plan to use one of the strings for each shelf. They come in two "colors", warm and cool. Sorry, they don't specify any more decent specs for the lights. Given this, would you use a warm light (more like a normal incandescent bulb) or a cool light (like most older fluorescent lights)?

I know most mineralogists use halogen lights but those generate too much heat and use too much power. I plan to leave these lights on all the time.

Any other suggestions are welcome!
 
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If you want to display reality, cool light to get closest to http://www.rise-lite.com/download/kelvin-color-temperature-scale
 
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Andre said:
If you want to display reality, cool light to get closest to http://www.rise-lite.com/download/kelvin-color-temperature-scale
Thank you for your reply and the link to that chart.
 
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