There are some differences in the production process for both stoneware and porcelain. But, the highest quality pieces for both porcelain and stoneware are almost always handcrafted. Whenever they work with porcelain, they have to throw faster or the clay will break down before they can work with it. One reason is because the minerals in the clay are smaller than what we use when we make stoneware. That microscopic size difference makes the clay that much harder to form on the pottery wheel.
However, what makes porcelain more challenging to throw than stoneware also makes it more versatile. Because porcelain clay uses such fine material, potters and sculptors can shape it into delicate patterns imitating clothes or hairstyles on dolls, figurines and more.
Trying to make such thin, delicate shapes out of stoneware clay causes most stoneware to collapse, even today. In olden days, the glazes our potters could put on stoneware were pretty limited. For centuries though, porcelain came with with a whole rainbow of color choices that the masters used to make everything from floral patterns on dinner plates to full-color statuettes that collectors prize around the world.
The biggest differences were in the different minerals and techniques potters used for their craft. Traditionally, firing porcelain took higher temperatures in the kiln than stoneware. In both cases, the amount of heat the clay can handle determine the durability and strength of the final product. At the same time, porcelain is more durable and longer lasting, so it may be the cheaper of the two over the life of the installation.
Porcelain is also less porous, making it easier to clean and less likely to stain. Although chip and crack-resistant, porcelain and bone china can break, chip or crack if you handle them improperly or get them too hot in the microwave.
But the same thing happens with tempered glass or plastic dinnerware, two other types of durable dinnerware. Stoneware vs Porcelain. Porcelain and china are fired at a higher temperature than stoneware but feature similarly durable and nonporous constructions. Both china and porcelain are made of a finer particle clay than stoneware, which results in a thinner construction and more translucent body.
In the ancient world porcelain was a necessity. For everyday use, it was used to create cups, plates, and other useful items. Exquisite, high-quality porcelains were usually housed as decoration or served as gifts. To remedy this, a glaze is used to cover the object before it is fired in the kiln for a second time and rendered waterproof.
This results in a more durable material, with a denser, stone-like quality. The finished product will be waterproof and unlike earthenware, does not need to be glazed. The result is an extremely hard, shiny material often white and translucent in appearance. The main points of comparison between Earthenware, Stoneware and Porcelain, will be the temperature at which the clay is fired and the resulting strength, water resistance and durability of the finished products.
The quality of the products will be dependant of the quality and purity of the clay that is used to create them, but as a general rule, Stoneware and Porcelain will be the two more durable forms of ceramic, which are commonly used as tableware at home. View our collection of handmade stoneware.
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