Wedgwood has been making pottery for more than 250 years. Josiah Wedgwood founded his business in 1759 and, within a few years, he invented three of Wedgwood's most enduring lines of ceramics: Queen's Ware, Black Basalt and Jasperware. While Wedgwood is firmly rooted in its past successes, the company also has teamed recently with popular designers, including Vera Wang and Jasper Conran.
When many shoppers consider Wedgwood, they are thinking of Jasperware. This unglazed stoneware is stained one solid color, and then white bas-relief decorations in the Neo-classical style are applied to the basic piece. The background color is most often pale blue, but other colors may include dark blue, lilac, sage green, black, or yellow. Jasperware pieces are most often decorative items, such as vases, bowls, picture frames, and clocks. An additional use of Jasperware appears in the cameo brooches, pendants, and earrings for which Wedgwood is known.
Wedgwood tableware has graced tables for more than two centuries. Today, it offers both fine bone china and more casual dinnerware. The company still markets traditional patterns, such as Edme, which has been in existence for more than 100 years. However, realizing that some customers may prefer a fresher style for entertaining, Wedgwood has also partnered with modern designers to create new patterns. Vera Wang's Grograin pattern and Jasper Conran's Diamond Embossed are just two styles available.
Dinnerware is sold most often in place settings, although sets and individual pieces are available as well. A five-piece place setting of formal bone china typically includes a dinner plate, a salad plate, a bread-and-butter plate, and a cup and saucer, while more casual styles come in four-piece settings, which have the same components minus the bread-and-butter plate. Some patterns may also offer bowls for soup, pasta, or cereal. Wedgwood china also includes serveware, such as cake plates, cream-and-sugar sets, platters, trays, and serving bowls.
To complete the tableware needed for entertaining, Wedgwood also offers drinkware and flatware. The drinkware items include wine goblets, champagne flutes, decanters, pitchers, and carafes, as well as an assortment of cocktail glasses. Vera Wang has also designed a line of bar accessories that includes coasters, ice buckets, and a cocktail shaker.
Flatware and cutlery includes Wedgwood classic patterns as well as newer styles from Vera Wang. Customers can choose between gold or stainless steel styles, which are sold in five-piece place settings that include a knife, place fork, salad fork, place spoon, and teaspoon. There are also serving sets available in many of these patterns.
Another long-time favorite from Wedgwood is its line of children's dinnerware. These feature designs of Peter Rabbit, based on the Beatrix Potter books for children, and come in three-piece sets of a plate, bowl, and mug, or as individual pieces.
