Where are all the RED Tiki Mugs?? - Collecting Tiki

S Saint-Thomas Member Knoxhell Joined: Sep 26, 2002 Posts: 39	S Saint-Thomas Posted posted on Wed, May 7, 2003 1:27 PM One more thing: I didn't want to scare everyone into not using ceramics anymore! The truth is, nearly all ceramic materials are bad for you, (clay itself causes cancer!!) but only in certain forms. Even if you are leaching some cobalt out into your coffee, tea or whatever, it is a very miniscule amount. You are exposed to far worse by drinking your municipal water, breathing air, and driving your car. Responsible ceramists try to reduce the exposure of certain chemicals not only because it is the right thing to do, but it shows poor craftsmanship when your glaze starts fading away after it has been through the dishwasher 10 times. Red glaze isn't that much worse for you than blue, its just a difficult color to get on utility ware. If one had a fuel burning kiln, one could basically "cook" the Oxygen out of Cupric Oxide which would, more or less, change it from green to red.

One more thing:
I didn't want to scare everyone into not using ceramics anymore! The truth is, nearly all ceramic materials are bad for you, (clay itself causes cancer!!) but only in certain forms. Even if you are leaching some cobalt out into your coffee, tea or whatever, it is a very miniscule amount. You are exposed to far worse by drinking your municipal water, breathing air, and driving your car.
Responsible ceramists try to reduce the exposure of certain chemicals not only because it is the right thing to do, but it shows poor craftsmanship when your glaze starts fading away after it has been through the dishwasher 10 times.
Red glaze isn't that much worse for you than blue, its just a difficult color to get on utility ware. If one had a fuel burning kiln, one could basically "cook" the Oxygen out of Cupric Oxide which would, more or less, change it from green to red.

Post #33336 by Saint-Thomas on Wed, May 7, 2003 1:27 PM