Understanding how your china is made is important before making any type of buying decision. The firing process, type of clay and overall appearance of the china will gauge how expensive, durable, delicate, smooth or dense a product really is. Understanding these differences will help you manage your money more wisely.
Porcelain China
Porcelain china, more commonly known as "fine china," has a delicate feel to it and a smooth appearance. It is made of kaolin clay – a white clay that stays white after it has been baked in a kiln.
This china is more vitrified than stoneware china. It becomes vitrified, or impermeable, during the second part of a two-stage firing process. The end result is a hard yet delicate product. Porcelain is non-porous, has high strength and is durable.
Stoneware China
Stoneware is a type of ceramic that is defined by the way it is fired. It is vitrified during a single firing and the result is a warm reddish finish. This type of china is called stoneware because of its dense body and stone-like traits.
The base clay is grey but is considerably darker after being fired. It is durable enough to be used both indoors and outdoors. Stoneware china is also hard enough to resist potential scratching from the use of stainless steel flatware.
Bone China
Bone china is considerably due to its complex manufacturing process. It is made using a white ceramic clay comprised of at least 25 percent of bone ash in it. Bone ash comes from the crushed bones of animals.
The bones are broken down and fired at extremely high temperatures – approximately 1000 degrees. The resulting ash is added to the final product, which gives it additional strength and color. Bone china is unique in that it has a high whiteness to it and is translucent.
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