Colored and white light generating lighting device

A method for generating colored and white light, comprising

• at least one light source emitting blue or ultraviolet light,
• providing a color conversion unit for converting said blue or ultraviolet light into visible light, said color conversion unit comprising at least two sections, at least one section of which being a color converting section, said at least one color converting section containing luminescent material, said luminescent material being a luminescent organic dye in a polymer matrix or a crystalline inorganic luminescent material formed into a ceramic body, said luminescent material being configured to avoid beam deflection of light incident on the luminescent material and to be substantially non-scattering, and alternately illuminating said at least two sections with said blue or ultraviolet light, and
• wherein said inorganic luminescent material exhibits a density of more than 97% of its theoretical density as a single crystal material.