What Is Bone China?

Bone china may invoke thoughts of tea parties and fancy dinners, but it's actually a practical purchase appropriate for everyday use. Bone china is a high-quality ceramic material used to create a variety of functional dinnerware pieces, including plates, bowls, mugs, and of course, teacups. Bone china might have a reputation as being rather delicate, but it's actually stronger than most porcelains because of its chemical makeup.

Is Bone China Made of Actual Bone?

The short answer is yes – as the name suggests, bone china is partially composed of animal bone. Animal bone is ground down into bone ash, which is then used in the manufacturing process of the tableware. The original formula for bone china included six parts animal bone ash, four parts china stone, and three and a half parts china clay. Today a similar process remains in place but each manufacturer of bone china has its own unique formulation. The end result of this complex technique produces tableware that is built to hold up to today's busy lifestyle.

Benefits of Bone China

Bone china is not only beautiful to behold, but it's prepared to work overtime for your tabletop. The composition of the bone china gives the tableware many advantages.

For starters, bone china is strong and durable, even though it is lightweight compared to other popular types of stoneware. It's also made to be both chip-resistant and scratch-resistant, so it'll hold up through frequent cleaning and storage.

Speaking of cleaning, bone china is dishwasher safe – despite what we've been told in the past about handwashing all china (although you can still use a mild detergent to handwash your bone china if you prefer). Go ahead and use bone china in your oven and microwave too – it's safe for both. It's the original BPA-free material.

Traditional bone china comes in a milky-white translucent color, but because this dinnerware type has been used for decades upon decades, you'll find it now comes in a range of colors and patterns.

What is the Difference Between Bone China, Fine China, and Porcelain?

If you're trying to discern between bone china, fine china, and porcelain, you should know it's all about the makeup. While bone china uses animal bone ash, fine china excludes this ash from the manufacturing process. The bone ash is what gives bone china its translucent quality – so fine china won't have this see-through look. Instead, when you hold fine china up to the light, you'll quickly see how no light can come through.

Most porcelain is thicker and heavier than bone china. Porcelain needs this thickness to withstand the high firing temperatures required to create it. Porcelain does not contain any bone ash, making it more prone to chips, scratches, and more likely to break when compared to bone china.

If you've ever considered incorporating bone china into your tableware collection or wedding registry, but were concerned about the maintenance or practicality of it, we are here to put your mind at ease. Not only is bone china a beautiful addition to a tabletop, it's made to stand up to everyday use and the test of time.

Article by Sara Coleman.

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