What is the difference between porcelain, earthenware and ceramics?
Ceramic tableware has become increasingly popular in recent years and is increasingly decorating our dining tables. While our grandparents tended to use the fine porcelain crockery for the special occasion, today we sometimes choose a beautiful ceramic plate. But where does this trend reversal come from and what exactly is the difference between ceramics, porcelain and earthenware? We explain the difference to you. When we started the idea of Ceramic Love we looked around at many sustainable companies in Portugal. We were fascinated by the Portuguese handicrafts of the people, the simple production facilities in the middle of sleepy villages and the common endeavor to produce in harmony with nature. We have found that the proportion of companies that only specialize in porcelain is becoming smaller and smaller. The trend in ceramic production in Portugal is increasingly towards earthenware and stoneware. But why? We believe that the values of and for all of us are changing. People used to attach importance to a more classic furnishing style and were willing to pay a lot of money for fine porcelain. The porcelain tableware has been chosen to last a lifetime. Today we would like to be more flexible, to be able to change the crockery from time to time and focus more on quality for a good price. Our ceramic love products are ideal for this. Before you choose new crockery, you should ask yourself where and how do I use it and which product fits into my life at the moment? Ceramic, porcelain or stoneware? And what is actually the difference? Ceramics is the actual generic term for all products made of inorganic and non-metallic materials. Ceramics can then be divided into so-called subtypes of ceramics: porcelain, earthenware and stoneware. Our ceramic love products are all made of the finest stoneware. The main difference between the individual subtypes is the composition of the various materials and the firing method. While most ceramics are made of clay, the main ingredient in porcelain is kaolin, also known as china clay. This so-called “white gold” is a fine, white rock with no iron content. If you then add quartz and feldspar, the mass for porcelain is created. The firing process is higher for porcelain than for earthenware and stoneware. This is around 1450 degrees and is due to the high-quality kaolin clay. This makes the fired porcelain exceptionally robust. Therefore, this subspecies of ceramics is the most valuable and robust, but at the same time looks the most delicate and noble. The starting material of stoneware is alumina, which has a high level of purity and a high proportion of aluminum oxide. The stoneware is fired at a slightly lower firing point than porcelain. This results in higher strength and lower porosity than earthenware. Our ceramic love products are made of the finest stoneware and are glazed for refinement. Earthenware consists of clay, quartz and feldspar. For stoneware, this means that the firing temperature is significantly lower at 1200 degrees. A porous, non-waterproof material is formed. For this reason, earthenware products are often provided with an additional glaze applied to all sides.
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Posted on August 31 2023