What's the latest feed on bone china?

Our most cherished family stories aren’t just found in photo albums—they’re often right there on the dinner table or in the china cabinet or lost in a sea of boxes in storage. They became a story that ties back to when Grandma and Grandpa got hitched, a tale of history in the making of a young couple embarking on the development of their own family.

Bone china's beauty is just the first impression, but there is so much more below the surface. They are vessels of happy memories, connections to the past, and the people you celebrated with, roots to our heritage, and many special gatherings around the table or over tea. It has earned the title "the good china" because it has a quality bar none, and it is an investment far above the everyday dishes.

Those pretty intricate designs under the once shimmering glaze, now shows their age with a dimmed subtle crazing layer, and the original precisely painted imagery is now bleeding into each other. Many flatware have danced across the surface to scoop up that last bit of a perfectly prepared home cooked meal. A sure sign of the many festivities had as they took center stage. They stir up reminders of our past, and our traditions that were fused into every single adored piece. Ladies would ooh and aah over the bountiful collections.

That once frowned upon chip on the cup or the plate brings us back in time to when someone around the table knocked it and resulted not only in a fault to the valued piece but also a scolding from grandma, mum or dad. It's now a story that echo's dearly back in time to that meal, those emotions, and those actions, bringing chuckles of naughtiness forward to the current moment.

"the good china"

Let's wizzle down to the bone to understand the high cost

Back in the day, young girls entering into their teens would earn the right of passage by getting to pick out their desired china pattern from store windows or catalogues. They would then be over-the-top excited and look forward to acquiring a piece here and there. When they got married they would be gifted the balance of the collection, accompanied with the padded satin storage box to keep them ever so safe. These would allow and encourage the new bride to be able to host their own special occasion dinners and tea parties. These dishes however, came at a high price and were taken very seriously, and often considered as important as a new vehicle or large appliance. Unless the purchaser came from a well-to-do family, or had saved their money up, the buyer would only be able to acquire the dishes by arranging a payment plan.

In the 1790's bone china became a favourite when Josiah Spode combined porcelain clay with cattle bone ash to offer a stronger product in combination with a more delicate whiter outcome than the previous clunky darker porcelains from the Europeans.

The name "china" was given due to the location of where the porcelain ceramic material invention happened, in China. We now refer to the dinnerware as "bone china."

A big benefit of bone china is it's ability to retain thermal heat, therefore making it an optimal choice for maintaining the food's heat while being served, and long into the meal, or keeping the tea hot. Bone china is fired at a very high temperature to give it the strength and durability while being delicate and translucent. Because it goes through the high firing temperatures, it turns the materials a milky white. It's the painted designs on top that give it the colour. Therefore it becomes very versatile by adapting to the oven and microwave temperatures, as long as there are no gold finishes in the design for the microwave option. You can always tell if something is bone china by holding it up the the light and being able to see through it, along with it's thinness.

Furthermore, the bone china material was deemed safe so no hazardous ingredients would transfer to the food and alter the flavour in any way. Another benefit is gained by it's resistance of any strong reaction to the alkaline or acidic compounds in our food.

When bone china was at its peak around the 1960s, the most famous British brands like Royal Doulton, Royal Worcester, and Wedgwood, amongst others, reached retails at prices beyond $500 a set. That was a lot back then!

The value of bone china is therefore valid and understandable. It's a terrific choice for its' beauty, elegance, durability, lightweight, space saving, thermal advantage and longevity attributes!

The real value for us goes deeper than the monetary price once paid. We place high value to the memories of the each piece gathered, of the celebrations, of good times had, and that I'm sure we all agree on is what makes them priceless!

Today brings on a whole new worth to our beloved bone china situation. World history is in the making during this 21st century where we have two generations; the parents of the Boomers, and the Boomers themselves who are wanting to downsize at the same time.

These generations are well known for their opulence, and crave for material possessions, therefore everyone wanted to "keep up with the Jones's" and had to have a set of bone china at the ready. It was expected and it was what we did. Now, the parents of the Boomers may be heading to small quarters in assisted care facilities or possibly dying, and find themselves stuck as to how to pass on these pieces of history. Some are leaving the china to their families, while simultaneously the Boomers are now experiencing the empty nest syndrome with their own young adults embracing life, therefore, they too are looking for bone china adoptees in the midst of downsizing. That equals at least 2 sets of bone china dinnerware now up for grabs somewhere along the line. This also includes all those fancy bone china figurines.

The problem we are facing now is the erratic, fast-paced life we live today. It is not ideal or easy to prepare and arrange those formal occasions or Sunday dinners as our culture once did. Food has doubled in price, we have no time, and it is challenging to get a group of people to coordinate and commit to a scheduled time to enjoy a sit-down dinner together.

We have too many things on our plate, and traditions are falling off the sides quickly. Just about as quickly as the nausea I had when having to put the oh so unfavoured turnip on my plate. These dishes are now moving to the back of the cupboards, into storage boxes, buried deep in the basement or attic, and some even out of the residence all together, taking up costly rental space in the storage units. The lucky few sets thankfully have a second chance can be found at the local thrift shops.

In the current times of unpredictability, Millennials are next in line and expected to love and cherish these heirlooms with the same excitement and proudness as their ancestors (typically grandparents) had well over 65 years prior. These bygone traditions are a lot of burden to place upon these people when they are in a much different lifestyle today than the, more leisurely times, we were in then. Today's younger generation revolves around being casual and free. Just go to the mall and see the level of comfort in their attire worn, with tanks and leggings as opposed to shift dresses and stockings of the 1960s. The Millennials were raised on convenience foods and many did not get the culinary lessons to give confidence to cooking a meal. You-Tube is a great teacher, but there is nothing that compares to Grammas' tips.

Limited time, smaller living spaces, convenience, priorities, stress and lack of appeal all support a theory as to why the young people in our current times are not as thrilled to welcome our old treasures of any kind, be it furniture, figurines, books, piano's, or dishes. The expectations the older generations are placing on the younger generations are just too much, which can add more stress during an already challenging time. We are stuck in our own history where we want our future families to be different than it is, and more of what we dream it to be, to carry on the traditions and memories in hopes to slow down the speeding times of change. This brings on a gap between the three generations thought process, leading to so much un-claimed clutter...and dishes.

There are always going to be some Millennials who will adore, and place high value on the bone china dishes of yesteryear, but those are about as rare as a unicorn! These lucky folks are the winners in this case with the sheer abundance of deserted bone china out there at a very low to no cost.

What was once a $500 set will now sell for $75. If you are lucky enough to reap that selling figure, consider yourself $75 richer because most go to recycling or stay packed away as another deferred decision in holding. This is where Curated Chaos Organizers can help!

Oh dear! Such a pity,... but what caused

• Practicality - the petite structure of the tea cups do not fit our hands well

• Convenience - the gold rimmed dishes are not microwave or dishwasher friendly

• Identity - we are who we are and not interested in trying to impress others

• Transitions in lifestyle - we move a lot and are often becoming a one parent household

• Formality - we challenge formalities that older generations had and live more casually

• Materialism - people place more value on experiences over tangible things now

• Space limitations - we no longer have china cabinets and any space is at a premium

• Minimalism - people have too much stress and therefore opt for a minimal lifestyle

• Memories - we are snap-happy for logging memories because it takes up no space

• Smaller families - big families have become a thing of the past and visits are far and few

• Cruelty- free - the bone comes from cows and is against the beliefs of animal lovers

• Women in the workforce - the female working sector has less time to prepare big meals

• Household hires - very few homes employ meal prep or maid personnel as they once did

• Heavy metals - potentially hosts dangerous lead and cadmium in the materials used

Your china could have dangerous heavy metals!

If you don't know by now, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Our pretty little china could be the host to some nasty heavy metals, more specifically the dreaded lead and cadmium! The Food and Drug Administration started regulating lead levels in dishes and ceramics in 1971, and since then, the regulations have been strengthened multiple times. If you are an artist, you will be aware of these metals within the pigments and therefore, if used, are treated with much caution.

Lead and cadmium are toxic heavy metals that are released into the environment through manmade industrial processing including mining, the burning of fossil fuels such as coal or oil, incineration of municipal waste such as plastics and batteries, manufacturing and smelting are the largest source of airborne cadmium, among others. Even cigarette smoke leaves us inhaling cadmium toxic particles! Lead and cadmium also enter soil through the disposal of sewage sludge, or the application of pesticides or phosphate fertilizers. Therefore these hazardous heavy metals are in the materials that formulate the beautiful dinnerware that we eat off of.

What does all this mean for our health you may ask? Well enough to be of great concern. The toxicity of lead is associated with neurological impairment such as learning disabilities and lower IQ, even when ingested at low levels. Chronic exposure to cadmium can cause kidney, liver, and bone damage in humans. Lead and cadmium accumulate in the body over time, increasing the total body load of these heavy metals over decades. Ingesting even small amounts of these metals will add to existing body burdens and should be avoided.

Thankfully not all bone china hosts heavy metals however. The dinnerware sold today in stores do not have lead in them and sometimes labeled as "lead-free." There are some dishes labeled as "lead-safe" which means the levels of the heavy metals are so minimal that it is thought to be safe for us to use....according to the regulations. Knowing what we now know, I for one, would not purchase those.

Below is a brief list of dishes with a chance that lead and cadmium exposure most likely reside within, and not just limited to bone china.

Professional Organizers meet with this china dilemma on a regular basis. Their client has bone china that has been lovingly passed down, or they have acquired the artistic pieces throughout the years themselves. Now in the hopes to declutter, downsize, and live more minimally, they have internal battles with the future of these beautiful dishes that are embedded with so many memories. Unfortunately, most of these dishes have found their way to the dark storage rooms, hidden away in boxes covered in dust or mildew and just a distant memory of the many treasured meals together.

I may be able to clear the fog on this matter and lay it all out on the table. The answer may be easier than you expect in making a decision that is right before your eyes if you read on. So let's unbox the mystery of what we can learn about them, what we can do about them, and how we can pay homage to them.

If you are in the Calgary area and would like assistance in your adventure to minimize and organize, our services at Curated Chaos Organizers can be of great help to you! Fill out the "contact us" form and we can begin.

But what is the value

in today's world?

Could your dishes be laden by chance?

• Traditional glazed terra cotta aka, clay dinnerware from Latin America

• Handcrafted dinnerware not abiding to the FDA regulations.

• Dishes made before 1971

• Brightly painted dishes on the surface of the material

• Dishes with embellishments above the glaze

• Any dishes that are glazed and show a chalky coating after washing

• Painted dishes that have the glaze chipping or wearing off

• Intricately painted bone china or porcelain dishes

How to test your dishes for lead

Luckily we can purchase relatively inexpensive rapid home test kits to see if our bone china, porcelain and various other dishes hold any type of lead. If you are at least 50 years old, you will be familiar with these kits from testing our painted surfaces in old homes and furnishings. They can be found at local paint stores, hardware stores and online shopping .

Lead test kits use chemicals that change color when they react with lead. To use them, follow the instructions and swab a sample of your dishes. If the color changes, that means the presence of lead is detected.

I would recommend using 3M™ if available or a kit from a reputable company for the best accuracy and reliability. Even so, it may sometimes give out false negatives or false positives, so it’s a good idea to test the same area 2 or 3 times and make sure you’re getting identical results.

So where do we go from here?

You may have discovered that they have lead, or hopefully they are safe. Either way you have to be comfortable with your decision to keep them or let them go. The memories will remain regardless of the tangible dishes. If there is lead in them, it may not be a concern if you are only using them on occasion but please don't put them in the dishwasher as it can damage the glazed surface, making it more likely for the lead to leach into the food or hot beverage. The heavy metals can contaminate other dishes, glasses and flatware in the dishwasher as well.

Regardless, there are many ways to pay homage to the history of those heirloom pieces. If they have no heavy metals, consider using them everyday and free up space in your cupboards by only storing one set. Before hanging onto them for years thinking your family will want them, just come out and ask them first. You may be surprised at their answer! If they want them, have them take them right away so you are not left storing them or more likely, forgetting about them while they sit hidden somewhere.

There are many crafty ideas that can turn the old china into art by making bird feeders, jewelry, candle vessels and yes, even pin cushions out of plates and tea cups. Keep one or two pieces and cherish those by working them into your everyday dishes. Take photo's of your favourite pieces and frame those for conversation and enjoyment.

If you have them, consider yourself lucky enough to live in a more peaceful era where dinnertime was special and these dishes were an integral part of how we gathered together to enjoy a nice meal, conversation and the people we adore. Their value was high in this regard.

Worst case scenario, if you do have to let them go, know that they served you well and offered memories that no one can take away. They paid for themselves over and over with each happy experience. Take them to a local charity, church or thrift shop and give someone else a chance to love them as much as you did. That choice will be theirs, and not someone who will hold onto heirloom dishes out of guilt and expectancy only to weigh them down with the burdens of having to deal with it on their own one day. These dishes were created and purchased with a promise to enjoy them as opposed to instill anxious feelings and stress. Honour them and do what's best for all!

In conclusion, we all love, or have loved our bone china dishes somewhere along the line but understand that times have changed and as we learn more, we do better.

Like most of the pleasures in life that were highly advertised to promote happiness and health by the Government, such as cigarettes, Coke-cola, sugar and let's not forget the celebratory creation of "meat in a tube" hot-dogs that succeeded the despairing war times, some of our bone china has now made it to this list of things that have been found to be quite the opposite for our ingestion.

We have the choice to enjoy them if we wish, and I hope you do, or just hold on to what we knew.

Final thoughts

it's depreciation?

There's always hope for a revival!

Now that you are more enlightened and can make a better decision on what to do about your beloved china dishes, there is hope that they will find love again, and will continue to inspire and evoke happy memories whatever their intent was in the beginning. Whether it be though continual use of them everyday, or beautifully on display in a crafty collage, or through up-cycling them into endless assorted uses, we hold aspirations that they will be in sight, and not tucked away somewhere gathering dust and time.

Author: Cathy Reynolds

Curated Chaos Professional Organizers Corp.

curatedchaosorganizers.com

fancy pin cushion

elegant flower arrangement

catch-all's

everyday use on display

tea cup candles

bergamot scented

craft some jewelry

dishing up a dining room focal art display

one of a kind napkin adornments

cloche base

laundry soap

scoops!

jewelry or trinket

Use it or loose it!

and keep memories close to your heart

"spill the tea"