If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what goes on behind the scenes or how we make our pottery pieces here at Pottery by Eleni, then this blog post is for you!
Our homemade pottery pieces are made with three key ingredients: porcelain clay, glaze, and gold luster. Each ingredient is carefully sourced so only the best materials go into our products. We take great pride in creating high-end pieces that will look beautiful in your home!
3 Key Ingredients In Each Homeware Pottery Piece
Clay Body
The base ingredient we use for each homeware pottery piece is porcelain. Porcelain is actually a type of clay and there are six different varieties which can be used for a wide range of things such as dental implants or fillings. Most homeware dishes are made using soft porcelain but don’t be fooled. This type of porcelain is very durable and can even be used on a gas burner.
The type of porcelain we use has low porosity and high density, making it extremely durable yet beautiful and soft to the touch.
It is because of the strength of our clay body that I am able to create pieces that have a thin and delicate appearance yet are still strong and durable.
We always strive to shop and source locally, so after testing many products, we teamed up with Seattle Pottery Supply to source only the best quality clay for our products.
Glaze
We went through even more tests and disappointments to find the perfect glossy, opaque, beautiful white glaze. Glaze is a type of glass coating that gives our pottery its smooth surface though they can come in other types of finishes such as glossy, matte, or textured. During our testing, some of the glazes would appear too clear, too matte, or have too many imperfections. Who knew white would be so hard to find?!
Once the glaze is mixed, it is fused to the pottery through a process called firing. The pottery goes into the kiln looking one way and comes out completely transformed! It still amazes me to see this beautiful transformation process.
Durability was also a very important factor to consider as we specialize in making dinnerware. Our glaze resists cutlery marks while maintaining a glossy sheen making it perfect for every day use as well as any special occasion.
We source our clay from a local shop in Tacoma called Clay Art Center.
Gold Overglaze
Last, but certainly not least, is the gold! Our gold overglaze, or luster, is the key ingredient to giving the pottery its high-end, luxurious appearance.
Overglaze is a decorative accent product that gets applied on top of a finished glazed piece. It is the artistic flair of the piece. Some overglaze designs can be very detailed and intricate while others are sophisticated and simple. Our gold is carefully hand painted on the edges of our pieces adding beauty, luxury and design.
The overglaze we use is sold in just 2 gram bottles (which hardly measures over an inch.) Each little bottle ranges from $48-$60 in value as there is 11% pure gold in it. This is the highest percentage of gold available for this product and results in a 22k finish.
While the gold is durable and dishwasher safe, we recommend treating it like fine china and making sure to give the gold as little friction as possible to allow for the piece to have a long life of shining bright.
When combined together, these three ingredients are able to create beautiful, luxurious pieces perfect for displaying and using in your home. We strive to create pieces that will not only look high-end, but will be durable enough to use day-to-day. After all, enjoying these pieces is what it’s all about!
Looking to add the perfect piece to your home? Click the link below to shop our site.