What is bone china? What is bone china made of?

The word “china” clearly shows that the country is the “home of pottery and porcelain.” while bone china is a kind of porcelain.

Bone China, also called fine bone china, bone porcelain, is a type of ceramic that uses bone ash, clay, feldspathic material and kaolin as basic material.

Bone china needs to go through two times of firing, high temperature(1250℃) firing, which is also called biscuit firing, and lower temperature(1150℃) firing, also called glaze firing. For decorated bone china products, the firing process is even more complicated, which may reach 3-5 times firing. (click how is bone china products made to see the bone china making process)

Typical daily bone china tableware including bone china dinnerware, tea set, coffee set, cup and saucer set, mugs etc.

How is bone china made?(Bone china making process)

Basically, from the raw material to the end products, the making process of bone china undergoes 2 or 3 major steps, white bone china needs 2 times firing, while the decorated bone china products need an extra process called pattern or design application, while the professional calling is decal application.

The first firing causes the product to shrink, and about 20% of the pieces that are made will crack and break at this stage. This is part of the reason why bone china tableware is expensive. The end products of this process are called biscuits. It’s whiter than our usually seen bone china products, and the surface is not as smooth.

How to Identify bone china?

What’s the difference between bone china and porcelain? Here are 5 easy ways to find out:

• Weight

When comparing the weight between other porcelain products and bone china, on the basis of the same shape, porcelain weight generally is heavier, while bone china is lighter.

• Shape

Distinguish from the shape, due to the difference of technology and raw materials, bone china, comparing to porcelain, its texture is thinner, and is more smooth, with a higher transparency.

• Tranparency

Hold a cup directly facing the light and check if light can come through the wall of the bone china products is usually the most effective method to identify bone china.

• Color

High-grade bone china is of delicate porcelain dense, smooth surface, bright glaze, giving the appearance of milky color, the higher the content of bone ash, the closer to milk white, in contrast, if the content of bone ash is low, it’s yellow color is more obvious.

• Sound

Listen to the tone of clicking, porcelain is more of the sound of heavy thick, when two bowls collide, giving the sound of “ding”, basically no echo, however, if u put two high-grade bone china bowls on the flat of both hands and make it collide, it will give the sound of “clang” and echo, just like ringing a bell.

“ From the raw material to the end products, the making process of bone china undergoes 2 or 3 major steps, white bone china needs 2 times firing, while the decorated bone china products need an extra process called pattern or design application, while the professional calling is decal application. ”