7.11: Color Grading
- Page ID
- 3500
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Color grading (colored gemstones)
The color grading system of the GIA separates "color" into 3 components which will be discussed in full below.
- Hue
- Tone
- Saturation
A typical notation for a colored gemstone in this system will look like the following sample.
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When we judge colored gemstones we judge them "face up" (table up) while balancing the stone between our fingers in the palm of our hand. This lets the light be reflected in and out of the stone through the crown. When we judge reflected light, it is termed "key color" opposed to transmitted light which is named "body color" (viewed through the pavilion).
Diamonds are judged table down against a white background, but the focus of this system is on colored gemstones.
A very important ingredient in judging color is proper lighting. By convention, we use "northern skylight" when judging gemstones (or southern skylight when you live south of the equator).
Hue
When we use the term "color" in daily speech, we are actually referring to the "hue". Hue is the first impression we get when seeing color. This hue is modified by tone and saturation.
The GIA color grading system uses 31 different hues to describe the primary key color of a gemstone. These 31 hues are used to compare the color against the color of the gemstone.
For comparison purposes, several software programs have been created to replace the old plastic color swatches the GIA used to sell.
| Color | Code | Name |
|---|---|---|
| R | red | |
| oR | orangey red | |
| RO/OR | red-orange or orange-red | |
| rO | reddish orange | |
| O | orange | |
| yO | yellowish orange | |
| oY | orangey yellow | |
| Y | yellow | |
| gY | greenish yellow | |
| YG/GY | yellow-green or green-yellow | |
| styG | strongly yellowish green | |
| yG | yellowish green | |
| slyG | slightly yellowish green | |
| G | green | |
| vslbG | very slightly bluish green | |
| bG | bluish green | |
| vstbG | very strongly bluish | |
| GB/BG | green-blue or blue-green | |
| vstgB | very strongly greenish blue | |
| vslgB | very slightly greenish blue | |
| B | blue | |
| vB | violetish blue | |
| bV | bluish violet | |
| V | violet | |
| vP | violetish purple | |
| P | purple | |
| rP | reddish purple | |
| RP/PR | red-purple or purple-red | |
| stpR | strongly purplish red | |
| slpR | slightly purplish red | |
| R | red | |
| Pk | pink (exception) | |
| Brn | brown (exception) |
Tone
Tone is the lightness or darkness in a gemstone.
There are 11 degrees of tone in the GIA color grading system, but only 7 of them are actually used (2 through 8).
| Tone | Scale | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | colorless or white | |
| 1 | extremely light | |
| 2 | very light | |
| 3 | light | |
| 4 | medium light | |
| 5 | medium | |
| 6 | medium dark | |
| 7 | dark | |
| 8 | very dark | |
| 9 | extremely dark | |
| 10 | black |
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Tone Scale
Although from the tone scale given above one could think of midrange tones (such as 5) to be gray, this is not the case. Instead one should think of it as white or black mixed in with the pure hue.
In the image above, a pure blue hue is mixed in with various amounts of white (from 2 to 5) and various amounts of black (5 to 8).
Gray is a modifier of saturation, not of tone.
Saturation
Saturation is the brightness (or purity, intensity) of a hue. The purer the hue, the higher grade it will get on the saturation scale.
The saturation scale goes from 1 to 6. Lower grades (1 to 3) can have a gray or brown modifier, while in grades above 3 these modifiers are absent.
Cool colors, like green and blue, have a gray modifier in low saturation. The warm colors (red, orange and yellow) have a brown modifier. Any stone that doesn't have a gray or brown modifier will at least be a 4 on the saturation scale.
Saturation scale with descriptions:
- grayish (brownish)
- slightly grayish (brownish)
- very slightly grayish (brownish)
- moderately strong
- strong
- vivid
The descriptions are only used in verbal communications.
| Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Saturation scale for medium-dark toned hues | |||||||||
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
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Sources
- Secrets of the Gem Trade (2003) - Richard W. Wise