Fine China
The Chinese are the first to produce porcelain dinnerware, vases, and figurines. They have been doing this for thousands of years. It is for this reason that porcelain dinnerware, regardless of where they were made, are called china.
Fine china is often thought to be fragile. The truth is that this material is rather durable and can withstand most of the abuse that dinnerware is expected to take. This durability comes from three factors.
First is kiln temperature. The higher the temperature to which the porcelain is subjected, the more durable it becomes. Such temperature could reach as high as 1,200°C or even 1,400°C. This heat gives china sufficient durability to be microwave and dishwasher safe.
Porcelains use clay that is very refined. It is only this type that results in a non-porous and durable product. The clay that is used is what is known as short clay, that is, it is less cohesive and has lower plasticity.
The silica sand content of the clay also plays a major role in the durability, as well as translucency, of china. When heated at extreme temperatures, silica turns to glass. This is what vitrifies china and gives it its glass-like quality, and thus, contributes to its durability and translucency.