Comparing permanent lighting systems
Gemstone Lights Alternative in Tampa Bay
Gemstone builds a good system, and we are not going to pretend otherwise to win a click. Here is the honest comparison, sourced to their own FAQ, including the line where they beat us.
The short version
On the hardware, these two systems are closer than any comparison page will usually admit.
Gemstone's own FAQ states they use RGBWW bulbs, where the WW is a dedicated warm white diode. That is the same approach we install, and it is the reason both systems produce a genuine warm white rather than the cool blue-white you get when a system blends red, green and blue to fake it. Both are professionally installed. Both use a track that is color-matched to the house and largely disappears in daylight.
So the real question is not which LED is better. It is who is standing on the ladder, and who picks up the phone in three years. Everything below is sourced to gemstonelights.com, checked July 27, 2026. Terms change, so verify before you decide.
Side by side
| What you are comparing | Gemstone, per their FAQ | Architectural Ambiance |
|---|---|---|
| How the system makes white | Their FAQ states RGBWW bulbs, where WW is a dedicated warm white diode. | RGBW, with a fourth diode dedicated to warm white. |
| Daytime appearance | Track described as hardly visible when the lights are off, with over 150 soffit and fascia colors available for matching. | Track finished to match your soffit or fascia and mounted under the eave. |
| Who installs it | Professional install only. Their FAQ states plainly that they do not offer a DIY solution. | Professional install only, by the owners who designed your layout. |
| Published warranty | Lifetime warranty on the lights against a stated 50,000 hour life, and a 10 year warranty on all other components. | Manufacturer warranty on parts, plus our workmanship guarantee: if something we installed fails, we come back and make it right. |
| Who you are actually hiring | A local authorized dealer of a national brand. Which dealer you get depends on your area. | A two-owner company in Tarpon Springs. The person who quotes it installs it and answers the phone afterwards. |
Gemstone column sourced from gemstonelights.com/pages/faq, checked July 27, 2026. Gemstone Lights is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to identify the product being compared.
What actually varies between two good systems
When the hardware is comparable, the outcome is decided by the install. Whether the track runs true across a long fascia. Whether the corners are cut clean. Whether the transformer is put somewhere sensible. Whether anyone came back to aim the last run after dark.
That work is done by people, not by a brand. With any national system you are hiring the local dealer who covers your area, and the brand cannot make one dealer as careful as another. With us you are hiring the two people who will be on your property, and you can ask us directly what we will do and hold us to it.
If that is the deciding factor for you, good. If the longer published warranty matters more, that is a defensible reason to go the other way, and we would rather you choose clearly than be talked into something. See what we install on our permanent architectural lighting page, or read the Trimlight comparison if that is also on your list.
Questions people ask when comparing
Is your system better than Gemstone?
Not on the technology, and we are not going to tell you otherwise. Gemstone's own FAQ states they use RGBWW bulbs with a dedicated warm white diode, which is the same approach we install and the same reason both systems produce a real warm white instead of a blue-white mix. If a company tells you their permanent lighting is categorically better than Gemstone's, ask them to show you where that is documented. Source: https://www.gemstonelights.com/pages/faq, checked July 27, 2026.
Then why would I use you instead?
Because on comparable hardware, the install and the aftercare are what you are actually buying. We are two owners in Tarpon Springs. The person who walks your roofline and designs the layout is the person who installs it, and the number you call in year three is the same number you called in year one. With a national brand you are hiring whichever local dealer covers your area, and that quality varies by dealer, not by brand.
Their warranty looks longer than yours.
Their published product warranty is longer, and we are not going to argue with their own document. Read both carefully and note what each one covers: product warranties cover parts, and labor is usually a separate term set by whoever installs. Ask any company, including us, who physically comes back out and how fast.
Can you service a Gemstone system I already have?
Call and tell us what it is doing. Some faults are generic to any low-voltage track system and some are tied to that manufacturer's parts and warranty, where you are better off with your installing dealer, and we will say so rather than take the job. Call (727) 222-3111.
What does it cost?
Every roofline is different, so we do not publish a flat price and neither should anyone quoting you sight unseen. We come out, measure what you want lit, and give you one written price with no obligation. Financing is available.
Get both quotes. Seriously.
Have us out, have them out, and compare the two written prices and the two people. Ours is free and there is no obligation either way.