Hosting a dinner party and looking to make a great impression? The best way is to serve dinner on high quality bone China.
But did you know that your dinnerware actually does contain animal bones?
Do your guests know?
Do you want them to know, and will you tell them?
The unique features of true bone china are a byproduct of the bone ash that’s contained in it.
The phosphate derived from bone ash is what makes China the strongest material among ceramics.
It’s chip resistant and durable, and yet also features that stunning white, translucent appearance that makes it among the most beautiful.
Whether or not you’re a vegan or vegetarian, you may not actually want animal products in your dinnerware.
Or you may want the option of an equally durable and beautiful dinnerware that doesn’t include animal bones if it isn’t necessary.
That’s where Anders & White Vegan Bone China can save the day, and your dinner party. We can hear you asking: What is Vegan Bone China? Isn’t that a contradiction?
Yes and no.
Read on to find out more.
Understanding Bone China
Those who make some of the world’s favourite bone china, like Wedgwood, make no bones about the fact it contains animal ashes (pun intended).
The combination of clay, stone and bone ash, when fired properly, produces Wedgwood’s brag-worthy “light, delicate material with a milky, almost translucent appearance.”
Bone china is also durable, with a break and chip resistance among the best in ceramic dinnerware.
It’s also microwave and dishwasher safe, so you don’t have to treat it with kid gloves.
As a side note, the beauty and durability means you should use it every day, not just on special occasions!
But the fact remains that true bone china must contain at least 30% ash from animal bones, and usually contains up to 50% ash.
The durability of bone china is based on the percentage of bone ash it contains.
Why Bone Ash?
As the story goes, bone china was first made by Thomas Frye at his Bow porcelain factory in East London in the 1700s.
Since his factory was located close to cattle markets and slaughterhouses, he had easy access to animal bones.
So he began to add up to 45% bone ash and called his first products “fine porcelain.”
Josiah Spode in Stoke-on-Trent and later his son Josiah II further developed the concept of adding bone to production, then changed the name to bone china.
The “recipe” combined china stone, china clay, and bone ash, and bone china quickly became popular.
The addition of ash adds strength, but also provides the light, delicate and translucent qualities to the material once fired.
Cattle bones, with their lower iron content than other bones, are first crushed and then de-gelatinised.
The bones are then “calcined,” a thermal treatment at up to 1250 degrees Celsius to produce the ash. The ash is then milled to a fine particle size before being added to the other ingredients to create bone china.
Now the traditional formula for bone china includes 50% bone ash along with Cornish stone and a clay mineral called kaolin.
The mixture is fired at around 1200 degrees Celsius. Since the production is relatively labour-intensive, and requires expensive raw materials, bone china continues to be expensive and often considered a luxury item.
A Better Way
You don’t have to be vegan, vegetarian or an animal rights activist to wish for products that don’t contain animals—at least where it isn’t required.
That’s where Vegan Bone China comes in—it allows you to enjoy a quality product while respecting animals and the environment.
Anders & White Vegan Bone China makes it unnecessary to have actual animal bones in your dinnerware, while still providing the combination of elegance and strength so loved in traditional bone china.
Vegan Bone China is beautiful enough for special occasions, and durable enough to enjoy every day.
How Can Bone China Be Vegan?
Vegan Bone China sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it?
Well it is, and it isn’t.
Our vegan bone china is made with the same care and attention to detail as “regular” bone china.
The production of our dinnerware means you get the same strength, resilience, and beautiful vivid white appearance that makes china the dinnerware of choice for so many.
What you don’t get is the addition of up to 50% bone ash that’s in traditional chinaware.
Instead, non-animal sources are combined to produce fine, elegant and strong china, that’s dishwasher and microwave safe, with no impact to animals.
Anders & White Vegan Bone China is made with minerals sourced from earth and stone, guaranteed to have no animal products.
Our stylish but simple dinnerware will give you the high quality you expect with the guaranteed vegan production you want.
Why Choose Vegan Bone China
Anders & White Vegan Bone China still provides outstanding physical strength and chip resistance, as well as the white translucence that makes china stand out from other ceramics.
One look at the Coupe or Classica Vegan Bone Dinnerware Sets and it’s hard to know the difference from bone china. But you’ll know.
You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to love our china. You also don’t have to buy items that use animal products where you don’t need them.
Freelance writer and journalist Ardith Stephanson writes on a variety of topics, and has some fun with her personal blog theardizan.com
