Before we go into a number of defective characteristics of porcelain, it is important to emphasise the production-related tolerances during manufacture. Porcelain is an end product that loses between 18 and 25 % of its moulded size (shrinkage) in the traditional manufacturing process and is fired at approx. 1,350 °C. This ultimately makes each piece of porcelain unique and contradicts the traditional production process. This ultimately makes each piece of porcelain unique and contradicts the requirements of one hundred per cent industrially manufactured uniformity. Above all, however, it is important to know and understand the differences in the quality of porcelain in the various types of sorting (first choice / mixed sorting, etc.). The following examples are for the most part porcelain items from our collection for which certain characteristics have been identified as part of the usual quality selection process.

There are many characteristics that lead us to suspect that porcelain is defective. The majority of such flaws are primarily due to the emotional and subjective perception of the user. It is clear that the more visible a flaw in porcelain appears, the more disturbing it is perceived. As soon as a defect in the porcelain impairs its intended use, it is referred to as a faulty product - for example, a stackable cup cannot be stacked. The quality standard of a product (collection/factory), but above all the pricing, is decisive as to what kind of faults are acceptable for the article (see porcelain qualities). Brands that only supply first choice products - if they still exist at all - only come from the premium segment, i.e. 10 euros for a top cup upwards.

However, there are often also "target faults" that originate from the manufacturing properties of a product. The following pages and descriptions are intended to help increase the mutual understanding of production and application and to strengthen consumers' judgement. We have compiled the most common faults and characteristics of porcelain from day-to-day business for you in this section.In addition to these negative features, our "Buy and use" page should also be of interest to you. There we have compiled many tips on the use and long-term utilisation of porcelain for you. And if - in the unlikely event of a complaint about Holst porcelain - a complaint (material defect) should arise, we also have helpful instructions for this: https://holst-porzellan.com/en/about-holst-porcelain/returns/.