Choosing a china pattern is a great way to express your taste and accent your new home. You’ll enjoy the presentation of meals and how your table looks every time you serve breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks.

So what is fine china and how is it used? According to Scullyandscully.com, fine china is made from a white clay called kaolin. It’s made of “soft paste,” where as porcelain and bone china are “hard paste,” explains Madehow.com. Porcelain is fired at a higher temperature than either fine china or bone china. Bone china has bone ash added which gives the fired dish the illusion of light.

One way to tell the difference is that fine china is always opaque. Porcelain and bone china are translucent, which means you can almost see through the dish when light hits it. Where porcelain and bone china differ is that porcelain is white, while bone china is a softer cream color. Embellishments include everything from hand painting, decals, beading, to gold and silver leaf, but manufacturers may recommend that decorative china be hand-washed to avoid chipping. 

Like clothing, china tableware can be casual, semi-formal or formal, which is why many households have more than one set of dishes on hand. For everyday use, you may prefer a simpler, unadorned china pattern that is dishwasher and microwave-safe and in some cases, oven-safe.

Whatever you choose, don’t save fine dishes for parties or holidays. Use them and enjoy them often and make your own special occasions.