The Birth of our Ceramic Product

	Customer Artwork
	Preparation of Casting Mold
	Grounding the clay (comprises mainly of kaolin & quartz) & mixing with water
	Filtering of clay to eliminate impurities
	hydraulic press of the solid mass for the basic shape of product
	filling the liquid paste to the casting mold for the basic shape of product
	Eliminating the sharp edges, drips and clean the mass
	Dry the mass and then first firing
	Bisque product is then glazed
	Second firing
	Decoration / Decal applying on the semi-finished product
	Third firing
	Completed!!
	Decoration (eg. Hand painting) can be applied under the glaze, in the glaze or on the glaze.
	Special effect could be done by modifying the production process

What are they?

Porcelain

	naturally a blue-gray white
	made from kaolin (extremely white, friable sedimentary rock that melts at high temperature, quartz (milk like mineral that acts as stabilizer) and feldspar (a cement-like mineral agent that binds and makes the magma impermeable)
	has a lower-heat first firing and a high-temperature glaze firing
	creates a vitreous, glass-like product able to withstand dishwashers and microwave ovens

Bone China

	naturally a translucent white or ivory-white
	contains up to 60 percent animal ash (mostly ox bone)
	high-heat first firing and a lower-heat glaze firing
	softer glaze (one that will show knife cuts after time and adopt a patina

Stoneware

	natural colour tends toward gray
	usually heavy
	like porcelain, is a vitreous body, thus leak-proof and non-absorbent, even in an unglazed state
	made from varying mixtures of kaolin and ball clay, feldspar and flint
	resistant to chipping, it can go into dishwasher, microwave, even the conventional oven

Earthenware

	made from clay (clay less refine than china clay)
	fired at relatively lower temperatures
	chips easily and will absorb food particles or liquid
	can be produced in more dimensional shapes and constructions
	it takes glazes, paints and decoration easier

Terracotta

	porous red clay
	fired at a low temperature

The confusing terminology

Ceramics - generic term for any ware made from earth-produced clays, mixed with water, that are processed through firing or baking

Bisque - layware that has been fired once, but not glazed

Enameling - metallic oxide powder fired at low temperatures over pottery that has already been glazed and fired

Glaze : transparent coating that protects decoration, makes the clay body non-porous and/or add colour

High-temperature decoration - nhancements created from a limited source of pigments that, when fired at a high temperature, combine with a transparent glaze to melt and fix the colours in place

Low-temperature decoration - nhancements created from a larger list of pigments placed on a pre-fired glaze and fixed by means of a third firing at a low temperature

Over-glaze - decoration applied to the surface of a piece that has already been glazed and fired, and is then set with a low-temperature firing

Under-glaze - ecoration applied directly to the bisque before glazing and then covered with a protective coating

	ADD :	Room 306, Kinox Centre,
		9 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong,
		Hong Kong
	TEL :	(852) 2687 6128
	FAX :	(852) 2687 6112
	E-MAIL:	info@coastalhk.com