Founded in Bad Pyrmont, Germany, in the 1950s by August H. Kinkeldey, Kinkeldey-Leuchten quickly established itself as one of the leading European producers of modern lighting. The company became known for sophisticated luminaires combining polished metal structures—often chrome or gilt—with cut glass or crystal elements designed to refract and multiply light.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Kinkeldey Studio gained international recognition through its striking chandeliers and ceiling lights composed of modular arrangements of prisms or crystal spheres. Some of these models were also distributed in France by the lighting editor Verre Lumière, which contributed to their presence in many modernist interiors of the period.

Recipient of several iF Design Awards, Kinkeldey remains today an important reference in post-war lighting design, appreciated for the precision of its craftsmanship and for the luminous, luxurious aesthetic characteristic of the 1970s.