Once we start discussing an idea with a client we ask our designer to come up with some preliminary drawings of the concept. Once these are approved, working drawings showing all the intricate details of the new shape or the new pattern are created.

A model is made of the new shape by one of our team of modellers. We work with a number of freelance sculptors so the scope of what we can offer is limitless. Clay models will be 14% larger than the finished piece because the bone china clay will shrink during firing.

A master mould is made from the original model, and this, in turn, is used to make all our working moulds. In the process the original sculpture or shape is cut up and destroyed. Our mould makers are highly skilled individuals who understand the complexity of the ceramic manufacturing process and they ensure that the working moulds will recreate the original sculpture with all its detail, perfectly, every single time.

Bone china is made from 50% bone ash, 25% kaolin and 25% Cornish stone.

The materials are mixed with water and pumped through a filter press to create slabs of clay (cake), which are then used to make slip for casting or pugged clay for flatware making.

In order to make casting slip, water is added to filter cake to create a liquid which has a similar consistency to cream. This slip is then sieved and run over rare earth magnets to take out any impurities.

To make pugged clay for flatware making, the filter cake is placed into an extruder which cuts and shreds the clay.

One method of producing tableware is by pressure casting. This differs from traditional casting methods, which use plaster moulds, and ensures that a superior quality and strong bone china product, ideal for the demands of a fine dining environment, is produced. The latest computer technology is used to control the casting machines and the ease of changing shapes means greater flexibility in production.

A traditional method of production is by the semi-automatic process. A piece of plastic clay is placed on a mould, which has been designed to create the front profile of the item. A metal template is lowered which forms the underside of the item, removing any excess clay in the process.

Hollow items such as cups and teapots are often cast using a more traditional process with a plaster of Paris mould.

The skill in casting is understanding the nature of slip (liquid bone china clay) and determining how long to leave it in the mould so that a fine skin of clay is formed.

When this has been achieved excess slip is poured away, and after further time for the piece to dry, the mould is opened to reveal the hollow piece inside.

The clay pieces are then placed in a drying room before moving to the next process.

Handles and lid finials are produced in a mould by casting.

Liquid clay in the form of slip is then painted onto the handle or finial to create a bond between the two pieces.

All seams created by divisions in the moulds are removed by a process known as fettling. A small knife is used to cut away the seams which are then sponged to remove any further imperfections.

Flowers are made entirely by hand by very skilled artists who have perfected their craft over many years. The individual petals and leaves are created before a perfect flower is formed.

Bone china products are fired several times in a kiln – the industry word for a furnace. In the 19th and early 20th century these were shaped like large bottles and were fired by coal, but nowadays kilns are much smaller and cleaner to run using gas and electricity.

The first fire of 1240°C transforms the bone china clay into a matt, inert, hard material, giving a finish rather like a biscuit; hence the term biscuit firing.

The piece shrinks by 14% during this first fire.

Once products are removed from the biscuit kiln they are brushed to remove any rough surfaces in preparation for glazing. Glazing transforms the matt, biscuit china into a sparkling, tactile object.

Glaze is a mixture of glass forming materials suspended in water and is applied to the product either by hand dipping, hand spraying or machine spraying depending on the complexity of the item.

After glaze application the china is fired in a glost kiln at around 1080°C, which bonds the glaze to the ceramic body. This gives bone china its unique qualities, whiteness, translucency and high level of durability.

Surface pattern decoration is applied using a lithograph. This is placed in water to remove the transfer from its paper support and then placed on the product. A small rubber squeegee is used to remove excess water and fix the transfer in place.

On some elaborate, richly decorated items the design is painstakingly hand raised using paste. The layers are built up over time and then hand finished in gold.

Highly experienced artists hand paint the most exquisite designs which are built up over three firings.

The final firings are known as enamel or decorating firings. During these firings (there can be two, three or more depending on the complexity of the piece being decorated) the enamel colours sink into the glaze which ensures that the finished item remains pristine.

22 carat gold or best platinum adds unmistakeable luxury to many of our designs and is the last stage in creating our exceptional products. Gilding, whether banding or a more complex and specialised technique such as raised paste work, is executed by hand by our talented gilders.

After a final firing the gold is ready for burnishing to reveal its alluring gleam.