Porcelain, bone china or earthenware?

The material is the first clue to what you have — and often to its value.

The light test

Hold the piece in front of a bright light or a phone torch. Porcelain and bone china are translucent: you see the shadow of your fingers through thin areas. Earthenware and stoneware are opaque.

The foot ring

Look at the unglazed ring on the base. Porcelain is white, hard and smooth, almost glassy. Earthenware is chalky, porous and often cream, buff or reddish.

The sound

Tap the rim gently with a fingernail: porcelain rings clearly, earthenware gives a duller sound. A crack also dulls the sound — a useful condition check.

Bone china

A British invention: porcelain with bone ash, very white and translucent. Most English tableware from the 19th century onward — Royal Worcester, Royal Crown Derby, Minton, Royal Doulton — is bone china, often marked «Fine Bone China».

Does it matter for price?

Not by itself. Fine earthenware by Wedgwood or early Staffordshire pottery can be worth more than ordinary porcelain. Maker, period and condition decide. Upload a photo and we will tell you what it is.