It's about porcelain

Porcelain was first produced in China in the 7th century. For a long time, Chinese craftsmen kept the technology of its production secret, but after some time they learned to produce porcelain in Korea, and after 10 long centuries - in Europe.

Composition of porcelain

In fact, porcelain is a type of ceramic. It is obtained by sintering high quality white clay - kaolin, feldspar, quartz and other components. Depending on its composition, porcelain may have additional properties, such as high heat resistance.

Porcelain color

The color depends on the composition of the porcelain and glaze, as well as on the type of firing. Different regions use different methods of processing the types of clay characteristic of the area - this is what determines the shade of the finished product. Chinese porcelain is white, while European porcelain is often grayish or bluish.

In the photo: Bauscher porcelain (Purity and Stuttgart collections).

Types of porcelain

There are several types of porcelain, which differ from each other in production technology and quality characteristics. The main types are soft, hard and bone.

Hard (high temperature) porcelain

Hard porcelain is the standard for manufacturers. It is strong, quite heavy and heat resistant. Its production does not require expensive materials - the starting kit is kaolin and feldspar, but the production technology is quite complex. The hardness of the product depends on the proportions of the ingredients - the more refractory kaolin, the harder it is. Finished items are fired at high temperatures several times and covered with glaze.

In the photo: Revol heat-resistant porcelain - a casserole dish with a lid from the Revolution collection.

Soft porcelain

Soft porcelain was created in an attempt to replicate Chinese hard porcelain. It contains glassy substances and is fired at lower temperatures than hard porcelain, so it retains little porosity. It is less heat resistant, but has the advantage that the final products have a white color from the warm spectrum, which is often preferable to the bluish or grayish characteristic of hard porcelain.

In the photo: Steelite porcelain, Scape, Scape Gray and Craft collections (Blue, Brown, Terracot, White)

Bone china

Bone china is the hardest type of porcelain. It contains cattle bone ash, consisting mainly of calcium phosphate (sometimes it is also replaced with natural calcium phosphates). Dishes made from bone china are highly durable and at the same time distinguished by their lightness, special whiteness and transparency.

Pictured: Royal Crown Derby porcelain, Sudbury collection.