A display system includes a reflective display panel and a light source tailored to enhance the color gamut of the system. The panel, which may be a Cholesteric liquid crystal display panel, includes an array of reflective pixels, each pixel comprising a first, second, and third subpixel of different first, second, and third colors. The light source illuminates a front of the display panel with source light to enable observers to view images formed by the panel. The light source includes a lamp and an enhancing element. The lamp, which may be a metal halide lamp, emits lamp light that includes the first, second, and third colors. The enhancing element may be an optical filter, a supplemental LED light source or other light source, or both. The enhancing element enhances the system color gamut, for example, by increasing the color gamut area relative to illumination with the lamp alone.