Compass Pendant Light | Blackjack Lighting

Compass begins and ends with the circle, the most familiar of geometric forms. A single ring of extruded aluminum, only 1.25 inches high, carries a continuous silicone diffuser along its underside, and three fine cables hold it level beneath a round canopy. There is nothing else: no hub, no arms, no shade. The light is the line, and the line is the whole fixture.

Because an LED strip can follow any curve, the ring can stay as thin as a drawn pencil mark at 24 or 36 inches across, and it glows evenly all the way round without a single hot spot. Seen from below it frames the space it hangs in; seen from the side it nearly disappears into a hairline. Matte Black gives a graphic outline against pale ceilings and reads strongly in tall rooms, while White softens into the architecture so only the luminous circle remains. Hung at different heights, several rings overlap into an orbit-like composition.

Design notes

• A circle of light: a continuous silicone diffuser turns the whole ring into the light source, with even output from every point.
• Slim profile: an extruded aluminum section just 1.25 in (3.2 cm) high keeps the ring light in the room at any size.
• Floating suspension: three adjustable support cables from a 9 in (22.9 cm) canopy hold the ring level and almost invisible.
• Quality of light: up to 2,270 lumens at 90 CRI in a choice of 2700K, 3000K, 3500K or 4000K.
• Scale and finish: two diameters and two powder-coated finishes, each able to work alone or layered in groups.

Specifications

Downloads

• Compass 24 in specification sheet (PDF)
• Compass 36 in specification sheet (PDF)
• Compass 3-wire installation instructions (PDF)
• Compass 4-wire installation instructions (PDF)
• Compass 24 in LM-79 photometric report (PDF)
• Compass 36 in LM-79 photometric report (PDF)

Stephen Blackman and Blackjack Lighting

Blackjack Lighting is the studio of industrial designer Stephen Blackman, its President and Chief Design Officer. Trained in industrial design at Syracuse University, Blackman began his lighting career in 1984 at Sonneman Design Group, then founded Blackman Design Associates in 1988, designing decorative and architectural lighting for manufacturers including Kichler. He launched Blackjack in 2013 in suburban Chicago, now based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, to build fixtures conceived for LED from the first sketch.

His argument is that the LED should change the shape of a light, not just its efficiency. Rather than hiding a new source inside old bulb-and-shade forms, Blackjack designs around the small, flat, cool-running LED: thin discs, slim rods, glowing rings and lenses that let the light itself become the object. In his own words, "Decorative lighting by its nature is not primarily about optimizing lamp efficiency, it is primarily about decoration!" Compass is that idea at its purest: one thin circle in which the light and the form are the same thing.

Questions

What is the design idea behind Compass?

It reduces a pendant to a single circle. The ring is both the structure and the light source, so the fixture reads as a clean line of light suspended in the room.

Which Blackjack collection does it belong to?

Compass is part of Blackjack's Commercial Series, built for larger rooms and continuous use, which is why it carries universal dimming and a 120-277V driver.

24 in or 36 in, Matte Black or White?

The 24 in ring suits a dining table or a smaller room; the 36 in holds its own in double-height spaces and large open plans. Matte Black draws a bold outline; White melts into a pale ceiling so only the glowing circle stays in view.

What is the light like, and how is it controlled?

Even, 90 CRI light from the whole ring, in your choice of four color temperatures from warm 2700K to crisp 4000K. The integral driver accepts TRIAC, ELV and 0-10V dimmers.

What warranty does it carry?

Three years on the integrated LED and its power supply, and one year on materials and workmanship, for the original buyer in the US and Canada.