Handcrafted in Ireland for over 160 years, each piece of Belleek is created by 16 individual artisans. From design to production to quality control at our historic pottery, a process that has changed very little since 1857. the production of a piece of Belleek Fine Parian China.

Belleek has a dedicated team of in-house designers who participate in varied Market Research and work closely with the sales team to introduce new ideas/concepts to the marketplace. Drawings are produced and after a careful selection process the most commercial designs make it to the modelling phase.

Belleek Parian China (with the exception of basket and flower making) is slip cast. This is a technique where liquid clay body slip is poured into plaster moulds and allowed to form a layer (the cast) on the inside cavity of the mould. The master mould is a transfer reverse of the model. The first mould taken from the master case is called the ‘Block Mould’. This is retained to make the next Case Mould whenever the first wears out. A second Master Block Mould is created and stored in Belleek’s Master Mould Chamber. This will never be used, unless the quality of the first block mould deteriorates. Belleek’s Master Mould Chamber contains Block Moulds dating as far back as the 1860’s.

This is the material that becomes Belleek Parian China. It begins as a creamy coloured liquid formed by mixing China Clay, Feldspar and Frit. The slip mixture is prepared on a daily basis and after it is measured and checked for its consistency it is sent by pipe to the Casters bench.

The moulds are filled to the top with slip. After the allotted time, the excess slip is poured off and the moulds are left to dry. As the piece dries it shrinks away from the mould and in time it can be gently separated. The slip has now become clay; this is called the ‘Green Ware Stage’.

Biscuit firing is perhaps the most risky phase, as this is the time when contraction occurs. Shrinkage can be as large as fifteen percent of the ‘Green Wares’ dimensions. Product is placed in the Kilns which are fired to 1,200 degrees centigrade. After this the cooling process must be very gradual. A sudden change in room temperature could shatter the ware. Therefore, the ware (now referred to as the biscuit) must remain in the kiln, cooling overnight. The next morning it is transferred to the, ‘Inspection and Cleaning Area.’ Here each piece is examined under a strong light. Any piece that fails the inspection is destroyed, as anything less than perfect is not acceptable in Belleek.

The dipped ware is transferred to the gloss (called Glost in Ireland) kiln room where glost firing blends the glaze to the Parian at a temperature of 1,000 degrees centigrade.