What is ceramics? What is pottery?
These are the most frequently asked questions when it comes to plates.
Well, in fact, this represents the same thing. Ceramic comes from Greek culture and translates as “pottery”.
Ceramics and pottery are objects made with and from clay, that is dried out trough the frying process and after are glazed or painted.
The clay is a natural material that is made of weathered rock and is a perfect material to work and to form different pottery objects as it is malleable and will become permanently hardened if fired at high temperatures.
The main types of ceramic are earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. The main difference between these 3 is the temperatures they are fired up and transformed into ceramic objects.
Earthenware is fired at relatively low temperatures between 1000 and 1150 degrees. Because of its porous texture, the earthenware cannot be used to contain water and that’s why the ceramics are glazed and fired one more time and they become waterproof.
Stoneware is fired at temperatures of 1200 degrees and the end result is a dense, stone-like quality. The end product is already waterproof and doesn’t have to be glazed, however in most of the cases, they are hand-painted for a better looking and customized ceramics.
Porcelain is a type of refined clay and is fired at temperatures over 1200 degrees and up to 1450 degrees Celsius. As a result, ceramics become shiny, often white, and translucent in color and they are extremely hard.
The 2 most durable types of ceramics are Stoneware and porcelain and can be used for any tableware in your home. As well, because it is a unique way of manufacturing it, there will not be 2 identical pieces of ceramics. They might be almost the same size and appearance but will have their individual print.