Many people mistake porcelain for fine bone china and vice versa; it’s an easy mistake to make; both materials are white, hard, and ceramic, and both materials contain many of the same mixed materials, like quartz. Still, there are some notable differences between china, mugs, teapots, and saucers made from porcelain and those made from fine bone china.
Fine bone china is not just a fancy name.
To make fine bone china, a fine powder is made and mixed with other materials such as quartz, kaolin (a type of clay), silica, ball clay, and feldspar. This mixture is then sculpted to make mugs, teapots, and saucers. These are then fired in an oven.
It’s true that some types of porcelain are strong, but on balance, fine bone china is tougher overall. For this reason, products made from fine bone china can be produced more finely than porcelain. This means fine bone china products appear to be more elegant.
Products made from fine bone china are delicate and strong; they also have excellent natural whiteness and appear translucent when held up to the light. Although porcelain tends to be cheaper, it is also more common, heavier, and less attractive overall.
The process of making fine bone china is more involved than porcelain. Porcelain products are more common, and the materials are less consistent than fine bone china. Given a choice, most people would choose fine bone china.
