What makes ceramic glaze the star component in the creation of our containers? The answer could not be any more obvious. It is functional, allowing them to be inert but also aesthetic. Its colors invoke emotions and give them personality. Discover the glowing world of glazing!
A technique as ancient as it is modern
Technically we refer to ceramic glaze as an impermeable coating fused with a ceramic piece by firing. However, it would not be fair to refer to glazing by this somewhat pragmatic definition. If we look at the robust reds and blacks of the Greek vases or the sophisticated blue enamels made in Saxony in the 16th century, it is clear that glazing is much more than that. It’s about brightness, beauty and warmth. Until today, glazes have not lost this magic of transmitting feelings and awarding ceramic pieces with a unique personality.
Let's go back for a moment to our previous definition. As much as glazing is an aesthetic element for our containers, its origin is rather practical. Glazing turns the porous surface of the clay into an inert element. It is therefore, what make ceramic suitable to contain food of all kinds and presents a greater physical resistance. All our glazings are free of lead and cadmium and do not pollute the environment. In short, it is the element that ensures durability and allows food to retain its freshness and for it to taste as good as if you had just prepared it.
Glazing provides the perfect synergy between functionality and beauty.
The process
Glazing is a mixture of different materials with a base to achieve a gloss or matte effect. The mixture is applied to the surface of each piece by spraying and the right temperature during firing causes the glazing to melt. Sounds easy right? What determines the color is the pigment which is added to the mixture in the form of a fine powder. When light meets with the pigment, the magical power of colors unfolds.
Scarlet Red, Sugar Terracotta, Mottled Black or Maya Blue: our suggestive palette of glazing colors is vibrant. Behind each color, there is meticulous research undertaken to achieve that tone and this sensation that make our pots so special. Our colors are carefully developed by our R&D Department. Until the desired color and brightness are achieved, different samples are developed.
True Colors
Pablo Sánchez, Product Engineer at Cermer, is our color specialist and behind many of our finishes. Pablo is especially proud of the Royal Lilac: “Due to its composition, it was challenging to homogenize the glazing in our production process. We knew that its application was easy with just a few pieces but achieving a uniform tone at an industrial level was complex.” After several tests, Pablo and his team managed to stabilize the process and enrich our range of glazings.
Glazing is a key element in the customization of a container
The seductive power of colors is indisputable. They influence the identity of a product. Elegance, warmth, relaxation, purity: there are endless characteristics that colors can evoke. Examples of this are in our “Green Collection” with a range of greens that suggest freshness, simplicity and well-being or in our golden finishes, symbolizing prestige and sophistication. At Cermer, we work so that our clients can show off their products´ true colors.
