The Blue Wool Scale (BWS) indicates the lightfastness of colourants. Lightfastness is the chemical stability of a pigment or dye under long exposure to light.
A rating of between 0 and 8 is awarded. 0 denotes extremely poor lightfastness, whilst 8 denotes excellent lightfastness.
Each Colourmount board has its individual BWS rating marked on the reverse. A list of the BWS ratings for each Colourmount board is shown below:
Name | Ref No. | BWS Rating |
Almond | 1004 / 3004 | 3 |
Antique White | 975 / 3975 | 5 |
Aqua | 3993 | 5+ |
Arctic White | 889 / 389 | 5 |
Bamboo | 1007 / 3007 | 5 |
Barley | 989 / 3989 | 5 |
Beaujolais | 849 / 349 | 4 |
Beige | 810 / 310 | 3 |
Black | 872 / 372 | 4 |
Blossom | 805 / 305 | 3 |
Bluebell | 840 / 340 | 4 |
Bottle Green | 832 / 332 | 4 |
Bronze | CM18 | 5+ |
Buff | 803 / 303 | 3 |
Burgundy | 853 / 353 | 4 |
Buttermilk | 1003 / 3003 | 4 |
Cameo | 984 / 3984 | 3 |
Chalk White | 1001 / 3001 | 4 |
Champagne | 807 / 307 | 4 |
Charcoal | 825 / 325 | 4 |
Chestnut | 720 / 3720 | 3 |
China Red | 1040 / 3040 | 4 |
Chive | 931 / 3931 | 4 |
Chocolate | 813 / 313 | 4 |
Clear Water | 951 / 3951 | 5 |
Cloud | 845 / 345 | 5 |
Cobalt Blue | 842 / 342 | 4 |
Coffee | 811 / 311 | 3 |
Copper | CM17 | 4 |
Cinder Grey | 3998 | 4 |
Cream | 802 / 302 | 4 |
Cream Ingres | 986 / 3986 | 4 |
Dawn Mist | 877 / 377 | 4 |
Dove Grey | 822 / 322 | 3 |
Dusty Pink | 855 / 355 | 4 |
Ebony | 3999 | 4 |
Eggshell | 701 / 3701 | 3 |
Emerald | 3991 | 4 |
Essence White | 917 / 3917 | 4 |
Falcon | 507 / 3507 | 3 |
Forest Green | 1031 / 3031 | 4 |
Geranium | 3997 | 4 |
Gold | 862 / 362 | 5 |
Granite | 828 / 328 | 4 |
Grape | 890 / 390 | 4 |
Green Gold | CM13 | 5+ |
Harvest Beige | 920 / 3920 | 2 |
Haystack | 965 / 3965 | 3-4 |
Hazelnut | 859 / 359 | 4 |
Holly Green | 833 / 333 | 4 |
Honeysuckle | 982 / 3982 | 4 |
Iced Crystal | 885 / 385 | 3 |
Iced White | 973 / 3973 | 4 |
Ivory | 801 / 301 | 4 |
Laurel | 835 / 335 | 4 |
Leaf Green | 1030 / 3030 | 4 |
Lemon | 3995 | 5 |
Lime | 3992 | 5 |
Loganberry | 715 / 3715 | 4 |
Lupin | 846 / 346 | 4 |
Maple | 834 / 334 | 3 |
Midnight | 839 / 339 | 4 |
Moorland Green | 831 / 331 | 4 |
Mushroom | 1023 / 3023 | 4 |
Nightshade | 954 / 3954 | 4 |
Off White | 981 / 3981 | 4 |
Old Gold | 864 / 364 | 5 |
Old Ivory | 809 / 309 | 3 |
Or | 506 / 3506 | 3 |
Osprey | 725 / 3725 | 3 |
Oxford Blue | 843 / 343 | 4 |
Oyster | 808 / 308 | 4 |
Pale Gold | CM14 | 5+ |
Pale Silver | CM12 | 5+ |
Pastel Blue | 844 / 344 | 4 |
Pastel Green | 829 / 329 | 4 |
Pastel Pink | 856 / 356 | 4 |
Pearl | 800 / 300 | 4 |
Pigeon | 945 / 3945 | 3 |
Platinum | CM19 | 4-5 |
Polar White | 1002 / 3002 | 4 |
Poppy | 851 / 351 | 4 |
Porcelain | 847 / 347 | 4 |
Portland | 821 / 821 | 5 |
Putty | 983 / 3983 | 4 |
Rose Gold | CM16 | 5+ |
Rouge | 850 / 350 | 4 |
Sage Green | 830 / 330 | 3 |
Sand | 804 / 304 | 4 |
Sand Ingres | 985 / 3985 | 4 |
Sandstone | 925 / 3925 | 4 |
School Grey | 826 / 326 | 4 |
Seal Brown | 815 / 315 | 4 |
Sepia | 814 / 314 | 3 |
Shamrock | 3990 | 4 |
Silver | 861 / 361 | 5 |
Silver Birch | 710 / 3710 | 3 |
Simply White | 891 / 391 | 3-4 |
Sky | 3994 | 5 |
Slate | 841 / 341 | 4 |
Smoke Grey | 824 / 324 | 5 |
Snow White | 971 / 3971 | 3 |
Soft White | 875 / 375 | 5 |
Solar Gold | CM15 | 5+ |
Spice Brown | 916 / 3916 | 4 |
Stone | 823 / 323 | 4 |
Sugared Almond | 882 / 382 | 3 |
Tangerine | 3996 | 4 |
Unicorn | 501 / 3501 | 3 |
Vanilla | 1015 / 3015 | 4 |
Warm Ivory | 806 / 306 | 4 |
White | 871 / 371 | 3 |
White Gold | CM11 | 5 |
White Ingres | 987 / 3987 | 4 |