To clarify the relations of optical properties to the main factors responsible for the loss and damage of luminous efficacy, a 20 min turn-on/turn-off test for 2,000 h for a ceramic metal halide lamp is conducted. The corrosion rates of the arc tube wall and electrode are estimated based on thermal stress. Wall blackening is attributed to the tungsten being transported from the hot electrode tips to the relatively cold arc tube wall. Furthermore, the grain boundaries of the arc tube are changed by the degradation. Distortion of the electrode is observed, and the ignition and the driving voltage of the load both increase. Finally, the color rendering index and the color coordinates are changed after the degradation. The luminous flux and the intensity of the luminous distribution are decreased significantly.