Dunoon Bone China

Dunoon bone china designs represent a modern day bone china success story - and that is a fabulous feat of business acumen when you consider how many top and well established china brands have gone to the wall.

What did they do different to the likes of Grafton who went under?

Exactly that question is the one that interests me.

Dunoon bone china is a modern company with an uncomplicated but graphically stunning range.

Whenever I go into a china shop and see the Dunoon collection, I always feel the modern English bone china industry is alive and well – it smacks of quality combined with design integrity.

Congratulations to these new age bone china manufacturers.

Dunoon opened a specially commissioned fine bone china factory 1981.

Their Fine Bone China production includes both mugs and teaware. Originally a stoneware maker they started production in 1973.

OK, so for those wanting a price guide for Dunoon china I have devised a quick, convenient link to live eBay auctions.

Otherwise, the graphic picture box on the left gives you a quick picture of current prices when you scroll your mouse over the item.

Their stoneware is produced from clays which give a clean white background - ideal for their 'graphic' style which displays a diversity of colors using enamel transfer decorations.

How to spot the difference between their bone china and stoneware?

Ok, the bone china will be lighter to the touch and more translucent to the eye. Even though the stoneware is tough and hard wearing, the bone china will be even more resistant to chipping when knocked (amazingly - you'd think it would be the other way around - more delicate).

However, the winner for me is when you drink tea out of a bone china mug it always tastes better. I'm not sure why, maybe its to do with the thin lip allowing a better slurp! Maybe its just my imagination.

Dunoon have their own outlet in Dunoon, Scotland and also a factory outlet in Stoke.

Anyway, the thing I most love about Dunoon is they are a plucky British company who, because they put a lot of thought and energy into their design and product development have enjoyed a little bit of success, in an era when all around them, companies with less vision have crashed and burned all around them.