What is the difference between the factory’s hard-paste porcelain and bone china?

The Imperial Porcelain Factory works with both classic hard-paste porcelain and bone china. Hard-paste porcelain uses a mix of kaolin, feldspar, and quartz fired at high temperature to create a dense, white, resonant body similar to early European and Chinese porcelains. This body suits everyday tableware and many historic reissues. Bone china incorporates bone ash into the mixture, giving a slightly warmer, more translucent appearance and a ringing tone when tapped. Many Cobalt Net cups and some fine services are made from bone china, which allows very thin walls and an elegant look, while plates and serving pieces often use hard-paste porcelain for durability. Both bodies are glazed and decorated with underglaze and overglaze colours, including gold. Collectors sometimes favour bone-china pieces for their translucency, yet hard-paste items with complex decoration or imperial patterns can be just as desirable. Labels and product descriptions usually specify the body type for each piece.