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Bone china - the premium porcelain
Bone china - the premium porcelain
Table of contents:
What is bone china?
Bone china is considered by consumers and connoisseurs alike to be the highest quality porcelain in the world. It was given its name in England at the end of the 18th century. There, the fine bone china tableware, the "white gold", was primarily reserved for the nobility and the royal family.
It got its name mainly because of one of its main ingredients: bone powder. Beef bones are mainly used for the raw material. The special manufacturing process in combination with the addition of crushed animal bones gives the products their unmistakable appearance. Cups, plates and bowls made of bone china are very delicate yet robust. They have an almost translucent tone and are characterized by a clear, bright sound when you tap them with your finger.
Today, bone china is no longer reserved for royalty and the aristocracy. However, bone china is still regarded as a premium porcelain that is appreciated in upscale restaurants as well as in sophisticated private households.
Bone china tableware from LUSINI
With the Skyline series from our VEGA brand, we offer you high-quality bone china tableware with a particularly stylish look. From soup plates to espresso cups, the series includes all tableware items.
- Classic shape with relief
- Modern design
- High resistance
- Brilliant glaze
- Dishwasher safe and microwaveable
How is bone china porcelain made?
As with conventional porcelain, the base material consists of kaolin, clay, quartz, feldspar, dolomite, chalk and calcite. In order to produce bone china, up to 50 percent burnt ash from animal bones is added. The proportion of ash and therefore kaolin is one of the manufacturers' well-kept secrets. The entire mixture is a fine powder that is shaped using various processes. Depending on the production method, the moist porcelain mass is either shaped into the desired form or the powder is pressed into a mold. As a third variant, the base mass can also be poured into molds.
Once the desired end product has been formed, the body is first fired at high temperatures of between 1,240 and 1,280°C. However, the temperatures are lower than for conventional porcelain, which is fired at over 1,300°C. This is because the animal ash would not vitrify at too high temperatures, but would burn completely. After the first firing, the glaze is fired at a low temperature of between 920 and 1,125°C. The result is a robust yet durable porcelain. The result is a robust yet fine soft porcelain.
What characterizes bone china tableware?
Bone china cups or bone china plates are characterized by their purity and appear almost translucent like milk glass in thinner areas. Compared to conventional porcelain, the tableware is much thinner and finer overall.
Nevertheless, bone china is impact-resistant and stable. Thanks to these properties, bone china is not only popular with tableware manufacturers, but also with artists. Bone china can be used to create delicate figurines or vases that are sought after by collectors all over the world.
Is bone china tableware dishwasher safe and microwaveable?
Modern bone china tableware is very durable despite its delicate design. It can be cleaned in the dishwasher without any problems. Bone china is also suitable for the microwave.
Is bone china suitable for the catering industry?
Modern bone china tableware, as you will find at LUSINI, is microwaveable and dishwasher safe. This fine porcelain is therefore hygienic to clean, practical to handle and therefore suitable for use in the catering industry without restriction.
Due to its exclusivity, it is particularly suitable for upscale gastronomy. Our bone china plates and cups are characterized not only by their typical filigree appearance but also by their high resistance and robustness.
What are the differences between bone china and porcelain?
Like bone china, conventional porcelain consists of kaolin, feldspar and quartz sand. However, these components only make up part of the base mass of bone china. As the name "bone china" suggests, up to 50 percent of the material in bone china consists of ground-up ash from animal bones. Bovine bones are mainly used for this. After firing, they also provide the striking visual difference to conventional porcelain. It is the slightly ivory-colored sheen and the transparency of the material that make bone china unmistakable.
Bone china also differs from conventional porcelain in the firing process. It is fired twice. The first time at a high temperature and the second time at a low temperature. It can then be processed like normal porcelain.
Compared to classic hard porcelain, bone china is somewhat softer and therefore more sensitive to knocks or blows. For this reason, it is usually used for special occasions or for high-end gastronomy.
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