Saturation 1 — Greyish or Brownish on the GIA Coloured-Stone Scale
Saturation 1 — Greyish or Brownish on the GIA Coloured-Stone Scale
The lowest grade, where neutral masking dominates the hue
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Saturation 1 is the lowest grade on GIA's six-point saturation scale for coloured stones, indicating colour heavily masked by grey or brown so that the chromatic component is very weak. Stones graded saturation 1 read as dull or muddy: the underlying hue is identifiable but suppressed, and the visual impression is closer to a neutral with a chromatic tint than to a coloured stone. The neutral component dominates the hue.
What this looks like in trade
Saturation-1 material is typically encountered in commercial-grade or industrial parcels rather than in fine jewellery. In sapphire, saturation 1 produces stones that read greyish-blue or greenish-grey rather than recognisably blue; in ruby, saturation 1 produces brownish-red material that the trade calls garnety. The pricing implication is straightforward: saturation 1 commands minimal value relative to higher grades, and stones of this quality rarely justify the cost of fine cutting or quality settings.
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Where the grade applies
The 1-to-6 saturation scale is used across the GIA coloured-stone colour-grading system regardless of species, with hue-specific notes on whether grey or brown is the principal masking component. The scale is paired with separate assessments of hue and tone to produce the full colour description on a laboratory report. See also saturation, saturation 2, saturation 3, saturation 4, saturation 5, saturation 6.
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