Wedgwood China

Wedgwood is a British pottery firm founded by Josiah Wedgwood in the mid 18th century. The company got its start in Stoke on Trent, England. The Wedgwood company merged with Waterford Crystal in 1987 and became Waterford Wedgwood.


Wedgwood has always been synonomous with quality,beauty, and craftsmanship. Famous for their china patterns, Wedgwood in modern times has branched out to include art, pottery, and everyday tableware.


Although there are various styles and patterns produced by the company, they can be categorized in four different areas.


Jasperware:

When non-collectors think of Wedgwood this is the style that comes to mind. Distinguished by the light blue base with white scenes, usually Greek or Roman in origin these are regarded as decorative pieces. The Wedgwood Jasperware styling is popular with tourist related collectibles.

Queensware:

As its name implies, Queensware is dinnerware designed for one of the Queens of England. It is identifiable by an embossed ivy leaf or similar around the border. Though styles,shapes and color may vary slightly, it has kept its standard style through the years.

Wedgewood Collectibles:

These are the many items produced for Wedgwood collectors. Christmas ornaments,an annual plate series,commemorative items,figurines,art pieces,and tourist items among others are produced as collectibles.

Tableware:

This category covers the remainder of most of the Wedgwood pieces, especially in modern times. Formal and informal table settings are produced in this category.

As you build your Wedgwood collection be aware of a few basics to spot fakes and to determine the dating of the pieces. When looking for china watch for tiny cracks and chips or crazing (spidery veins along the porcelain). Any of these three faults can reduce or destroy the value of the piece.

An advantage to collectors, Wedgwood was and is one of the few manufacturers to mark its name on their products. Usually embossed or painted on the bottom of each piece. The genuine Wedgwood mark is either painted or embossed "Wedgwood England", "Wedgwood Made in England", or "Wedgwood of Etruria & Barlaston" and/or an urn with Wedgwood underneath it. There have been a few variations through the years but rarely has a picture of anything but an urn been displayed.

When antique collecting there are two things to look for regarding fakes and authenticating Wedgwood:
If the piece you are checking out is not marked, it is not Wedgwood unless it is extremely old in which case you should consult an expert or get the seller to provide verification that the piece is, indeed, Wedgwood.

Look out for Wedgewood. The true Wedgwood company does not spell its name with the second E. There is another company, Enoch Wedgwood of Tunstall whose pieces have a unicorn as its logo and are stamped "Wedgwood & Co." This is not genuine Wedgwood and has little or no value to collectors. The majority of the pieces are produced as collectibles for Avon, but have no collector value. Buy them only if you like the look.


When searching online for Wedgwood, enter both names "Wedgwood and "Wedgewood" as many sellers are not sure of the spelling. A seller listing a piece as "Wedgewood" more than likely has an authentic piece of Wedgwood china. With a little bit of information you can easily verify whether the item is authentic Wedgwood or a fake.