Faber-Castell Polychromos 102 vs 120: a palette selection, not a grade change

The 102-colour Polychromos tin is a selected palette from the wider range, not evidence that every pencil inside is a newly upgraded product. That distinction helps when deciding whether to buy a set or add individual colours to pencils you already own.

Faber-Castell USA’s lightfast-rating answer says 102 of the 120 Polychromos colours carry its three-star designation. The 102-count FC210061 product page describes a tin collecting the colours in that highest maker-rated group and supplies an included-colour list.

These are manufacturer ratings and contents statements, checked 24 October 2026. They are not our exposure-test results, an independent certification comparison or a guarantee about a drawing under your display conditions.

Compare three sets of colour codes

1. Owned: list the Polychromos colour codes already in your collection, not just the visible barrel colours.
2. Needed: list the colours used by the work or course you actually intend to do.
3. Offered: compare the exact tin’s included-colour list with the first two lists.

The useful result is the overlap and the gap. A larger count does not necessarily fill the colours you need, while a selected set can duplicate many pencils you already have. Conversely, a wider palette may include a colour you want for a particular task even though it sits outside the selected three-star group.

Keep rating and appearance as separate fields

For a comparison note, record the colour code, your own swatch on the intended paper and the maker’s current rating. A screen image cannot replace that swatch, and a star symbol cannot tell you whether the hue suits a particular drawing.

Do not transfer the star definition to another pencil brand or range without checking its own system. Likewise, the statement that the 102 tin selects a rating group does not establish that a different historical set has the same contents. Keep its product reference with the list.

Our view: choose by the palette you will use and the role of the manufacturer’s rating in that work. If you already own much of the range, individual additions may avoid unnecessary duplicates. This guide supplies a way to compare contents; it does not predict fading, set a conservation standard or evaluate the brand’s testing method.

Two official U.S. sources; no pencil or light-exposure test, price calculation or community-review claim. Related: practical comparisons.