faq

Is it possible to repair broken porcelain? It is a shame to break your porcelain, and it often raises the question of repair. While there used to be shops that offered porcelain repair, Royal Copenhagen does not refer to shops, nor are we able to assist with repair.

However, Royal Copenhagen offers up to three years of Breakage Warranty from the date of purchase. Remember to register your products here at royalcopenhagen.com – then we will send a product if an accident happens.

A thermal mug consists of two shells with air between them. Although the porcelain in a thermal mug appears thick and robust the two shells are individually thinner than the porcelain in a non-thermal mug.

However, the mugs are not weaker than other porcelain. They can withstand normal daily use. Chips in them are usually caused by being hit or by overestimating the robustness. We do recommend that you avoid stacking your thermal cups and thermal mugs until they have cooled completely after being dishwashed.

If a thermal mug is leaking - that is, where liquid leaks from the cavity inside the mug - it may be due to cracks in one of the mug’s shells. It can also be due to a defective closure of a small hole in the bottom of the mug. The hole is made for technical reasons and will be sealed with wet room silicone before the mug is put into use. Should this closure eventually disappear, it can be easily repaired. You make sure that there is no more liquid between the two shells by placing the mug in a dry and warm place, with the bottom downwards, so that the liquid can run out of the hole or evaporate. The hole must be clean and dry, and it can now be sealed again by filling it with a little wet room silicone.

It is normal for a plate to show signs of use. Cutlery marks and small scratches can already occur after the first time you have used a plate. The marks that can occur when using cutlery on the porcelain can usually be removed with French chalk for example. In that case it is important to follow the instructions for use

We have been experimenting with cutlery for many years, and there is a big difference in how cutlery rubs off on porcelain and the like. Some cutlery leave more marks than others - and some can be difficult to remove. For more stubborn stains, you can also use cleaning materials for ceramic glass stoves.

Scratches are usually normal wear and tear, and they cannot be removed.

NB! French chalk and cleaners for ceramic glass stoves must not be used on porcelain decorated with overglaze such as Flora Danica and Purpur.

Please contact customer service to receive a copy of Declaration of Compliance.

It is hereby confirmed that products produced by / for Fiskars Denmark A/S (Royal Copenhagen) which are intended to come into contact with foodstuffs meet all National and International regulatory requirements, including:

• Council Directive 84/500/EEC of 15 October 1984
• Commission Directive 2005/31/EC of 29 April 2005 amending Council Directive 84/500/EEC
• Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and repealing Directives 80/590/EEC and 89/109/EEC
• Manufactured in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 of 22 December 2006 on good manufacturing practice for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food
• Denmark Regulation BEK No. 822 of 26/06/2013 (Food Contact Material Order) Publication date: 29-06-2013. Ministry of the Environment and Food Accession
• FDA CPG Sec. 545.450 Pottery (Ceramics); Import and Domestic - Lead
• FDA CPG Sec. 545.400 Pottery (Ceramics); Import and Domestic – Cadmium

During the course of years Royal Copenhagen has developed a standard for the quality we want to put our name to, and we have some very specific quality requirements for the finished porcelain. It can be purely technical requirements, and it can be visual requirements.

In the difference between A and B grade, there are often small deviations in the appearance of the porcelain. There will never be any deviations that inhibit the use properties of the objects. The "defect" on a B grade product will typically be a small colored spot - black, brown or blue - on the front of an object. If it is on the back there may be several small spots. There may also be a slight bias or irregularity which can be sensed, but which for example does not cause a plate to tip over on the table. In many cases the small errors will not be particularly obvious on the items that are deemed to be B grade.

B grade products are marked with a scratch in the glaze across the three wave lines and are sold exclusively at Royal Copenhagen’s own Outlet stores. 

The decoration on Flora Danica is a so called overglaze decoration, which means that the decoration is painted on top of the already glost fired porcelain plate and afterwards fired at approx. 870 °C.  This technique and firing temperature is used to get the, for Flora Danica, special materiality and colour richness. In 2021, it became technically possible for Royal Copenhagen to shift to the use of lead-free paint for the decorations on Flora Danica.

When firing porcelain after glazing, it is necessary to remove the glaze on the standing surface of the objects.

If this is not done, the object will fuse to the firing surface.

Thin porcelain cups are fired upside down and therefore their standing surface is the rim of the cup, and therefore it is necessary to remove the glaze here. After firing the cup edge is polished completely smooth.

Over time tea and coffee can cause discoloration on this polished edge - and this is normal.

These discolorations can be removed with soft scouring powder, by soaking in a light chlorine solution, or you can follow an old household tip and use a scouring sponge with coarse salt.

However, a regular machine wash is usually enough to keep discoloration away. Please check our Product Care guide to make sure that your porcelain is dishwasher safe.

The high firing temperature also has a strong influence on the form expression of the finished porcelain. When the porcelain is fired, it shrinks by about 14 percent. Although the composition of the porcelain mass ensures that the porcelain shrinks in mostly the same manner, small irregularities may occur as the porcelain is handmade.

There are of course limits to what are acceptable irregularities, and this is managed through our quality control.

The high firing temperature to which the porcelain is exposed means that the blue color reacts with the glaze. This reaction can be seen as part of the finished expression. Lines in for example The Mussel pattern, which before firing has been straight, moves with the glaze and the underlying shape when fired. Color/glaze will typically run from the “peaks" down into the "valleys" of the fluted pattern. A straight line will become wavy/irregular and appear light on the "peaks". This is especially visible on Blue Fluted Mega decorations, where the decorations and reactions have been enlarged.

You could say that the high-temperature reactions contribute to the porcelain's overall expression in line with the craftsmanship, which can also always be seen in the finished product.

Royal Copenhagen began its production in 1775. Over the years there have been many changes in production. The factory has moved several times. Different raw materials, new machines and ovens have been used, and in periods of time the staff has fluctuated between 200 and 2000 employees. Each change has an impact on the appearance of the product.

Raw materials for example have an influence on the colour of the porcelain. Kilns have an influence on decoration colours and glaze. Decorations are greatly influenced by the employees and the style that prevails in a given period, as various painters and instructors have had an influence on the products of the time.

Some things that arise when changing machines cannot be changed. For example, plates and cups made after the 1950s will generally be thicker than earlier items because production methods have changed.

For a quarter of a millennium, we have worked continuously with quality assurance and internal training to be able to deliver craftsmanship of the highest quality.

You will be able to see the difference between products manufactured today, 50 years ago and 100 years ago. It cannot be avoided. Our aim is to maintain the same high quality and provide the same experience as we have always done, while making necessary alterations to our production methods.