Iridium 27 in Pendant | Blackjack Lighting

Iridium is drawn with light rather than with metal. Eight elongated loops radiate from a slender central hub, each one a band of custom acrylic that carries LED light along its whole length, so the fixture reads as a set of glowing orbits hung in the air. At 26.5 inches across and only 6.5 inches deep, it is a large pendant with almost no visual weight: from below it becomes an eight-pointed star, from the side a ring of overlapping ellipses.

The acrylic light guides do the work a shade would normally do. LEDs feed light into their edges and the guides spread it evenly, so the loops glow bright and glare-free with no visible source. The metal is held to a hub, a stem and thin frames, and the finish sets the mood: Etched Gold gives a warm, softly textured glow suited to timber and plaster, while Polished Chrome turns the frame into fine reflective lines that suit glass, marble and black-and-white rooms. Iridium won the 2017 Lighting for Tomorrow Award in the Decorative Lighting category and was named one of the "30 Most Innovative Products" for 2018 by the editors of Beautiful Kitchens & Baths.

Design notes

• Light that draws the form: eight acrylic light guides glow along their full length, so the outline of the fixture is the light itself.
• Large but airy: 26.5 in (67 cm) across and 6.5 in (16.5 cm) deep, it fills the space over a table without blocking the view.
• Even, glare-free output: 2,031 lumens at 3000K and 90 CRI from 42 W, spread evenly by the custom optics.
• Set on a stem: a 42 in adjustable stem kit with a hang-straight swivel holds the rings level; up to four extra stem sections extend it.
• Two characters: Etched Gold for warmth and soft texture, Polished Chrome for crisp reflections.

Specifications

Downloads

• Iridium 27 in specification sheet (PDF)
• Iridium instruction sheet (PDF)
• Iridium LM-79 photometric report (PDF)
• Iridium IES files (ZIP)

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!" Iridium is that idea at full scale: there is no bulb to hide at all, only loops of acrylic that carry the light and become the chandelier.

Questions

What is the idea behind Iridium?

A chandelier made of orbits of light. Instead of arms holding lamps, eight acrylic loops glow along their length and cross one another, so the fixture looks like a drawing of light in space.

Who is behind Blackjack Lighting?

Industrial designer Stephen Blackman, President and Chief Design Officer, who has designed lighting since 1984 and founded Blackjack in 2013 to make fixtures conceived for LED.

Etched Gold or Polished Chrome?

Etched Gold reads warm and slightly matte, at home with oak, walnut, linen and plaster. Polished Chrome reads cool and precise, and suits glass tables, stone and monochrome rooms.

How does the light feel, and can it be dimmed?

The light guides spread 2,031 lumens evenly at 3000K and 90 CRI, so the glow is bright yet soft to look at. The driver sits in the canopy and works with TRIAC, ELV and 0-10V dimmers.

Can it hang lower, or from a sloped ceiling?

The included 42 in stem kit adjusts the overall height from 18.5 to 48.5 in; up to four extra stem sections can be added, and a sloped ceiling swivel is available as an accessory.

What warranty does it carry?

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