Pottery Ivory

Pottery Ivory

Things you need to know before buying your ceramic dinnerware!

The word  ceramic was derived from the greek word 'Keramos' meaning 'earthen vessel'. The word has now been applied to a wide range of products from terracotta to the finest bone china. Dinnerware and tableware are just two of the categories often used by stores to describe the end use of this range of ceramics.

 For the discerning shopper selection of dinnerware is primarily based around fashion. In todays fast moving world, where casual dining has become the norm, our dinnerware often reflects our taste in food or the environment in which we use it. For example mexican food might well be served in brightly coloured dishes decorated with peppers, spices and other vegetables reflecting the type of food we might eat..

However the technical features of the dinnerware are much harder to identify. First what type of ceramic is it we are buying? Is it terracotta,earthenware,stoneware, porcelain or bone china? Often it just says china on the box but this means nothing as it is just another broad term implying it is a ceramic!  But we know that already don't we?

So just how do we identify the different types of pottery? One way is to look at the colour of the body under the shiny glaze. The best place to do this is under the foot of the item as this is often unglazed. In order of pure whiteness the following is a generalised guide to the colour .

 Terracotta            bright red to red brown body colour

Stoneware          pale brown to buff colour

 Earthenware       ivory to off white

 Porcelain           off white to blue white   

Bone China        creamy pure white             

 Porcelain and bone china can be more easily differentiated from the rest by their translucency. This means that they they let light transmit thro the piece. If you hold a delicate piece of bone china or porcelain up to the light, and wave your hand beween the plate and the light, you can see a shadow of your hand thro the piece.

 So now we know what type of dinnerware we are buying-what does it mean ? Firstly it is a guide to the strength of the piece and means resistance to chipping ,cracking and  breakage. Secondly it is a guide to the cost. High quality bone china and porcelain manufacturers use highly refined materials and processes to 'design in' the whiteness,translucency and strength required by consumers.Consequently the cost is higher. However because of the inherent strength you might expect this type of pottery to last longer in use!

As in life things are never quite so simple. The manufacturers of other types of dinnerware (terracotta,stoneware,and earthenware) compensate for their lack of inherent strength by making chunkier pieces. All types of ware can be highly decorated with colour so this is not the differentiator. So the shopper has a choice of chunkier less white designs or whiter more delicate designs! 

The chemical resistance to acids and washing detergents is also worth considering. Generally higher fired glazed tableware such as porcelain and stoneware have a higher intrinsic chemical durability and are 'unleaded' but this is not always the case.Top brands now indicate their testing to BS or FDA standards and indicate their quality by labelling with 'dishwasher safe' and  'unleaded' or 'lead-free' . The astute shopper therefore needs to look for these labels in determining value for money.

In summary,shopping for dinnerware can be an enjoyable experience!  Armed with a little technical knowledge the process can be so much easier! Give at least equal weighting to to the technical performance as to the fashionable design in choosing your ceramic tableware.

For more information why not contact the Potters Friend at www.pottersfriend.co.uk 

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About the Author

Educated to a Masters degree level in Materials Science and Technology, my love of ceramics has lasted over 27 years.
A member of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals, I have travelled the world to help potters find solutions to body, glaze and decoration faults. Regarded as an expert in glaze technology; I have been challenged by the biggest names in the the pottery industry.

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