Many are wondering how to distinguish this porcelain from faience. The main differences between porcelain and faience are that porcelain is made of kaolin - dense, ringing material, solid at the break. This is its value, as it affects the safety of products. Faience at the break will have a porous structure. However, when buying products, it is problematic to determine the material precisely for this characteristic.
How to distinguish porcelain from faience?
There are several methods to distinguish real porcelain:
- See the product for light. Porcelain at the same time will shine through, and faience - no. In this way, you can explore the dishes. But for the statuettes, it does not fit.
- Look at the bottom of the product. If there is glaze on it, then faience is in front of you, in case of absence of glaze - porcelain. The rim of the bottom on porcelain products is rough, you can even sharpen knives on it. The downside is the probability of forgery, for which the bottom is rubbed with emery.
- The sound produced when tapping on the product. Porcelain is always characterized by a ringing tone, and for faience - a deaf and low sound.
- If you are dealing with pottery from faience for a long period of use, then the material can be determined by the presence of small cracks. This is a natural process for earthenware, which is not considered a defect. Sometimes the faience is even deliberately aged, using the technique of crackle (craquelure). For porcelain, the presence of cracks is unacceptable, given the hardness of the material.
Thus, knowing the necessary information, you can navigate with the purchase, how to distinguish porcelain from faience. This will help you to purchase a product of the proper quality and not make a mistake.