Pottery product safety concerns are two-fold: first, for the potter, are the issues that come from working so closely with clay and glaze dusts, which can lead to silicosis and second, for the buyer, is the potential leaching of hazardous materials into food or beverages.
To ensure greatest safety for both the potter and the buyer, choosing lead-free, food-safe glazes, using premixed clay, and avoiding dust exposure by using damp materials and avoiding dry sanding help ensure maximum safety for every step of the process.
Because I am concerned about product safety, I have taken many steps to ensure that the ceramic products produced by Sublime Goddess Pottery are food-safe and non-toxic, both for myself and my customers. I always read the product labels for glazes I am considering to ensure that they are food-safe and dinnerware safe. The studio I use to fire my work (Norris Arts Studio & Gallery) always fires to cone 6 to ensure proper vitrification for my wares. Finally, I carefully inspect my finished pieces to ensure they are water-tight and ready for use. Please refer to the Pottery Care page for more information about using and caring for your ceramic purchases.
Clay
I purchase wet clay from Georgies Ceramic & Clay Co. in Portland, Oregon. All of their clays are manufactured at their Portland facility. All of my wares are fired to cone 6 and fully vitrified for food safety.
- Bakeware — I use either Pat Horsley or Timberline clay from Georgies for bakeware items, as that is their recommendation for this use. You can view the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for these clays at this link.
- Everything Else — I use either Kristie Lombard or G-Mix for everything else I make as both of these clays work well for hand-building applications. You can view the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for these clays at this link.
Glazes
I use a variety of commercial glazes from manufacturers in the United States and Canada, and I typically post the specific brands and colors used for each piece I make on my blog page and/or Facebook page. As a general rule, lead is no longer used in modern paints and glazes produced worldwide (it was banned in 1978 in the United States, for example) and so this is thankfully not a concern for contemporary pottery pieces. The glaze manufacturers I turn to for painting my wares include:
Amaco
Almost all of my Celadon (semi-translucent) glazes are from Amaco in Indianapolis, Indiana — and I use these glazes on the majority of what I make because they show off texture so very well! I also use glazes from their Potter’s Choice line. Most Amaco glazes have an AP Safety Rating and are generally considered non-toxic & lead free, as well as safe for use on food and drinkware. All of the pieces I design for use with food use food-safe glazes. Some of my non-food products (such as the Luminaries) may use non-food safe glazes.
Coyote Clay & Color
Georgies Ceramic & Clay Co.
I use a variety of glazes from Georgies Ceramic & Clay Co. in Portland, Oregon, as they are my local supplier and manufacture a full line of wonderful products. Georgie’s glazes feature a variety of colors and surfaces; some are opaque and others more translucent. All are independently certified as non-toxic & lead free as well as Dinnerware Safe. Here is a link to their Cone 6 Glaze SDS sheet, which covers all of the glazes I use commonly.
Mayco Colors
I use a variety of glazes from Mayco Colors in Hilliard, Ohio. I primarily use their Stroke & Coat, Foundations, and Stoneware glazes, which are non-toxic & lead free, have an AP Safety Rating, and are Dinnerware Safe when used according to manufacturer’s directions and fired to the clay body’s vitrification temperatures.
Penguin Pottery Supplies
Penguin Pottery Supplies is located in Waterbury, Vermont and bills themselves as “founded by expert potters who conscientiously manufacture our products in a responsible manner.” They are employee owned, and they happen to make the very best red and orange Celadon glazes I have ever used because they don’t “burn out” at Cone 6 and remain true to color. I’ve pretty much transitioned over to these two glaze colors exclusively, but I’m also experimenting with some of their other lines. Their glazes are non-toxic & lead free and considered to be food-safe when applied as directed and fired to vitrification.
Spectrum Glazes
Spectrum is based in Ontario, Canada and they offer a wonderful line of Celadon-type glazes, which they refer to as their “1430 Floating Glaze” line. I use a fair number of their Celadon glazes in my work. Their glazes are non-toxic & lead free and considered to be food-safe when applied as directed and fired to vitrification.