Every tile carton from a Chinese kiln carries a grade mark. Buyers see “AAA” in showrooms and “Grade A” on invoices and assume they mean the same thing. They usually do, but the terms are informal; the labels that matter are the Chinese ones on the box.
The three grades
- 优等品 (yōuděngpǐn) – first choice. Meets the national standard GB/T 4100 for dimensions, surface quality and physical properties with the tightest cosmetic tolerance. This is what is sold as “AAA”, “Grade A” or “premium” abroad.
- 一级品 (yījípǐn) – second grade. Minor visible defects allowed under standard viewing conditions; dimensional tolerance slightly wider. Typically 15–25% cheaper.
- 合格品 (hégépǐn) – third grade / qualified. Passes physical tests but with visible cosmetic defects. Fine for a garage; not for a living room.
What grading does not cover
Grade is about defects, not about design consistency between batches. Two other codes on the carton decide whether your floor looks uniform:
- Shade / colour number (色号) – a letter or number indicating the firing batch’s colour. Mixing shades on one floor is the most common complaint we see.
- Calibre / size code (尺码) – the actual fired size within tolerance (e.g. 798, 800, 802 mm). Mixing calibres produces uneven joints.
How to buy safely
- Write the grade in Chinese on the pro-forma.
- Require one shade and one calibre for the whole quantity of each design, and have the batch numbers written on the invoice.
- Keep a sealed reference tile.
- At inspection, open cartons from several pallets and compare against the reference in daylight.
- Order 5–8% extra so you never have to top up from a different batch later.
More in the tile buying guide.
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