Bone China vs Porcelain: What's the Difference?
Bone china and porcelain look alike once the table is laid: both are white, smooth and glazed. The differences show up in how heavy a stack of plates feels, how they stand up to daily use and how you can wash them. This guide explains both, then where our sets sit, starting with our new Sea Blue bone china set.
What porcelain is
Porcelain is made from fine white clay, called kaolin, mixed with feldspar and quartz, and fired at a very high temperature. The heat turns it glassy all the way through, so it is dense, hard and does not absorb water. Porcelain plates tend to be a little thicker and heavier, in a bright, cool white. Most of our porcelain patterns, like Ripple and Senorita, come as a service for 4, 8 or 12 from $39.99; our dinnerware buying guide compares them.
What bone china is
Bone china adds bone ash to a porcelain-type clay body. It is fired at a lower temperature than hard porcelain, but the bone ash makes it strong, so it can be made thinner. The result is lighter, with a soft, warm white, and thin enough that light shows through a plate held up to a window.
Which is stronger?
For its thickness, bone china is the more chip resistant of the two, which is how it can be made so fine. Well-made porcelain is also very durable and handles heavy everyday use. Either will last for years if rims are not knocked together in the sink.
Microwave and dishwasher: it is the decoration that matters
Plain bone china and plain porcelain are usually both microwave and dishwasher safe. What changes the rules is decoration. Gold or platinum rims, gold plating and metallic lustre must stay out of the microwave and are best washed by hand. Always check a set's own care instructions before the first wash.
Side by side
| Porcelain | Bone china | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Heavier | Lighter |
| Thickness | Usually thicker | Can be made thinner |
| Colour | Bright, cool white | Soft, warm white |
| Lets light through | Only when very thin | Yes |
| Chip resistance | Good | Very good for its thickness |
| Made with | Kaolin, feldspar, quartz | The same, plus bone ash |
Meet Sea Blue: bone china for every day
Sea Blue Bone China Dinner Set, $59.99. Thirty-two pieces, a service for six: dinner plates, dessert plates, cereal bowls, and teacups with saucers for everyone, plus a serving plate and a round salad bowl. It is microwave, oven and dishwasher safe, so it is bone china you can use on a Tuesday night, at under $2 a piece.
Add the Silver Royal Salute Flatware Set ($69.99, also a service for six) and the order comes to $129.98, which ships free anywhere in Canada.
Our other dinner sets, by material
- Gold-plated bone china: Athena ($639.99), 52 pieces with serving dishes, a soup tureen and a tea service. Hand wash only. See what comes in a 52-piece set.
- 24K gold-plated porcelain: Marley ($450), 32 pieces for six. Hand wash only; our gold-plated dinnerware care guide explains why.
- Opal glass: our opalware dinner sets ($106.99, 28 pieces for six) look like porcelain at less weight. The plain and patterned designs are microwave and dishwasher safe.
How to choose
- For every day: pick a set that is microwave and dishwasher safe, like Sea Blue or the opalware sets.
- For hosting and holidays: gold-plated sets like Marley and Athena, and accept that they are washed by hand.
- Not sure how many settings: read How Many Plates Do You Need for a Dinner Party?
Ordering
- Free shipping in Canada on orders over $100.
- Free local pickup from our Toronto store.
- Arrives broken? Send us a photo and we will replace it.
Compare every pattern in Dinnerware Sets.