Brilliance

Brilliance is the effect of lighting on a glossy surface, for example a sparkle from a chandelier, and is produced by the reflection of the light source. A “Play of brilliants” is one of the three layers coined by Richard Kelly, a pioneer of architectural lighting design, that make up good lighting design. 

Tip from a lighting designer

The base layers to consider when designing lighting is ambient illuminance or general lighting and accent lighting of focal glow which are essential for the user’s perception of space. A play of brilliants is the last layer to consider when designing a space and adds sparkle to a setting. This can be regarded as the decorative layer of light. A space with all three lighting layers becomes more interesting, more decorative or even high-end. Whereas, a basic and more functional space will just have one layer of lighting – general light.