There are a number of choices when you set out to purchase dinnerware for your home; these choices are stoneware, earthenware and porcelain. Porcelain is further broken down into fine china and fine bone china. Most homes are well appointed and have at least two sets of dinnerware, one which is used daily and the other used for special occasions. To this day one of the most requested items by a new bride is a set of fine bone china dinnerware.
People have been making porcelain products for a very long time. Towards the end of the 18th century and Englishman by the name of Spode found that by adding bone ash to the other clays that the china became stronger and considerably more translucent than the finest china of the day. Spode china continues as a manufacturer of fine bone china to this day as do many other manufacturers located all over the world.
There are four primary steps that are required in the manufacture of china:
- The making of the clay
- Molding the clay
- Glazing and
- Decorating
In high volume facilities the clay is produced in large volumes in the batch house. It is here where the basic materials are blended together in dry hoppers; from there the material travels to an area where it is mixed with water to form slurry. The slurry is stored in tanks ready for future use. The mix that makes the clay compound consists of bone ash, about 50 percent, china clay, ball clay, flint and feldspar. The materials are sourced from different locations depending on the availability. Most bone china is white however with the addition of certain pigments the finished product can be ivory in color.
Once the slurry has been mixed it has the moisture content reduced to about 20 percent, this material is then sent through an extrusion machine which delivers long tubes of clay, either round or square depending on the product to be manufactured.
The extruded clay is cut into sections and forced into molds. Once the shapes are taken from the molds they are transferred to a kiln which is set at approximately 2,300 degrees F, the dinnerware stays in the kiln for nine hours.
After glazing and decorating the fine bone china is ready for inspection and shipment all around the world where it ends up on the tables of discerning homeowners.
