Hadley Pottery

Pottery collectors the world over know the Hadley brand for its durability, bright colors, and elegant 'throwback' designs. Mary Alice Hadley's vision of craftsmanship lives on in each Hadley piece produced. All of the current designs were actually created by Hadley herself--Hadley graphic designers paint each piece of dishware individually with freehand techniques.The production of Hadley pottery is quite unique. The base is a stoneware body, comprised of clays like kaolin. Artisans mash up their own glazes and apply these glazes directly to the surface of the stoneware clay. Initially, these designs look rather dull and non-colorful.The next step is to apply the hand-prepared glaze to the stoneware by dipping the piece into solution or spraying glaze on it directly. (The glaze is free of harmful heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead.) The Hadley pottery then gets heated up to around 2,300° F. This high temperature 'single glazing' process creates wares that can hold up under difficult kitchen conditions.The glossy, hard surface that results protects the interior design--which is, in a very real sense, burned into the clay itself. That said, collectors should take note that Hadley pottery is not impervious to deterioration or abrasion. You should keep your valuable dinnerware pieces away from open flames. Still, most pieces are safe for microwave use and gentle heating.