Key Difference: The main difference between bone china and porcelain is that bone china is made with more bone ash than porcelain.
Bone ash makes the resulting product harder, finer-grained, and more translucent.
What is Bone China?
Bone china is a type of porcelain that is made from bone ash, feldspar, and kaolin.
It has a translucency that is similar to fine glass and is often used for making cups, saucers, plates, and other tableware.
Bone china is strong and durable, yet has a delicate appearance.
What is Porcelain?
Porcelain is a ceramic material that is made from kaolin, a type of clay.
It is fired at high temperatures, which makes it strong and durable.
Porcelain is often used to make dishes, tiles, and other objects that need to be resistant to wear and tear.
Bone China vs Porcelain
One of the major differences between bone china and porcelain is that bone china is made from a combination of kaolin, feldspar, and quartz.
Porcelain, on the other hand, is made from pure kaolin. Bone china is also more translucent than porcelain and typically has a higher firing temperature, which results in a stronger and more durable product.
Key Differences
Important differences between Bone China and Porcelain are –
Durability
Bone china is more durable than porcelain.
Porcelain is more likely to chip or break if it is dropped.
This is one of the main reasons why bone china is often used for making dishes and other objects that need to be resistant to wear and tear.
Appearance
Bone china has a delicate appearance, while porcelain is more plain.
Bone china often has a translucent quality that makes it look similar to fine glass.
Porcelain is less likely to show scratches and other blemishes than bone china.
Color
Bone china is often available in a wider range of colors than porcelain.
This is because the coloring is added to the bone ash before the porcelain is made.
Porcelain usually comes in white, cream, or beige colors.
Composition
Bone china is made from three main ingredients: bone ash, feldspar, and kaolin.
Porcelain is made from kaolin and fire clay.
They both also contain small amounts of other materials, such as quartz.
Temperature
Porcelain is fired at high temperatures (2,200 to 2,600 F), while bone china is fired at lower temperatures.
However, bone china is often fired a second time at a higher temperature, which makes it stronger and more durable.
Weight
Porcelain is usually heavier than bone china.
This is because porcelain contains more clay and less bone ash than bone china.
On the other hand, bone china is often denser because of the addition of feldspar.
History
Bone china was first made in the 18th century, while porcelain has been around for much longer.
The Chinese were the first to make porcelain, which they called “white gold”.
Similarities
Bone china and porcelain have some similarities, such as their strength and durability.
They are both made from clay and fired at high temperatures.
Despite their differences, they are both classified as porcelain and are often used for making dishes and other objects.