Pottery, Porcelain & Look-alikes

Pottery and porcelain are different. Pottery is opaque; you can't see through it. Porcelain is translucent. If you hold a porcelain dish in front of a strong light, you will see the light through the dish. Porcelain is colder to the touch. Pottery is softer and easier to break and will stain more easily because it is porous. Porcelain is thinner, lighter, and more durable. There are three types of pottery: earthenware, stoneware, and china clay. Majolica, faience, and stoneware are all pottery.