Featured Please Help, I May Have Sick Porcelain!!

I just bought this beautiful Haviland China at a local auction. It is marked with Incrustation and some other words. A person at the auction told me that Incrustation on Chas Field Haviland means that the pieces have been encrusted with 24kt gold decoration and they are very desirable. I got them for their beauty, the encrustation design is a bonus.

When I got them home, I noticed what looks like mineral stains on the plates. If they were glass, I would describe them as "sick". I tried to take a decent photo of the sickness. I need help with any cleaning advice. Last night I tried soaking them in Dawn water, then soaking them in Dawn plus white vinegar, but that didn't work. Any other ideas? If I have to throw them away, you will hear some serious moaning from Ohio. I have the cups and saucers, bread plates and one or 2 salad plates that seem OK. It's mostly the dinner plates.

The house that these came from is on the Scioto River. My guess is that humidity from the river along with improper storage caused this (or maybe it flooded at one time). However, I got a lot of other plates from the same house and they are fine. Don't get me started on the house. YUCK! What a place to be storing so many beautiful china and glass pieces. Here's the photos, TY!

 

OK. Use masking tape or cling film to protect the gilding. Then - with gloves on! - use a small sponge and blob limescale remover gel on the mineral deposits. Rub with a toothbrush. Rinse like mad. Repeat as needed.

 

I'm familiar with the damage that you are talking about but have never found a way to reverse it. It may have come from using cleaning methods that are too harsh (dishwasher or too much lye). I haven't tried a peroxide bath but I'm afraid it may be permanently discolored.
Don

 

So Sorry!!!

 

I'll find some of that and try it. There's nothing to lose at this point. Next step is the trash.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo!

Use it for candlelit dinners; everyone will think it's shadows!

 

I don't know what causes it but I'd scrub with caution. I've not dealt with this exact thing before but I'd start with something like olive oil and let it sit for awhile before washing off. If that didn't work I'd lean toward something like vinegar.

 

If that's a mineral type deposit stain - maybe try CLR, put some on a soft cloth and give it a rub. If it's soluble it will come off fast -- if not then it won't work.

 

whatever it is, it's pretty awful. I tried CLR on a small spot but nothing changed. The olive oil idea sounds worth trying. But I think whatever spilled on the dishes was pretty corrosive.

 

Oh, if it "ate into the paint" then nothing will get it out. Only thing I can think of is a very light polishing out with a soft buffing wheel with some very fine rouge and hope you don't burn through the green.

 

In case you're interested, I got these 8 1/2" plates at the same sale, out of the same house and in perfect condition. They are Awesome!



I thought they would look good with these desserts. Can you see it with a Merengue? I saw those made on The Great British Baking Show and want to try them.

 

I have no suggestions, but wanted to say, they are all beautiful.

Meringue sounds yummy, but sometimes summer heat or humidity can cause issues.
I made it many years ago and then put sliced fruit in the center of the meringue circles. I find meringue tastes great with berries.

I also used to make Baked Alaska with a soft meringue topping.
Yummo.

 

Looks like color loss to me. I can't see peroxide helping, and certainly not CLR. An active ingredient in CLR is hydrochloric acid. If the green isn't underglaze, very risky stuff to use. Even if the green is underglaze, I wouldn't recommend trying it.

 

Several years ago I had the same issue with some plates minus the gold trim. I soaked them for a day or so in some light (cut with water) hairdresser peroxide. Had to repeat several time then a soak in clear water. Seemed to do the trick. I don't know what it would do to the gold.
All the plates and glass are lovely.
Patd

 

If you have nothing to loose, then I would take one and try Barkeepers Friend. Make a paste and gently rub in circles in a small area and see what happens. I've used it to take lime deposits off saucers after plants have been sitting on them.
Can't think if any were glazed as yours are, I think most of mine were white porcelain.

BTW - Those gold and white plates are beautiful.

 

One other thought. Magic Eraser might be worth a try.

I'd make Eton Mess with raspberries.

 

owned, never heard of Eton Mess so I looked it up. Definitely want to try that with strawberries which are in season now.

I tried a magic eraser and it worked on the very small spots on the small plates, so that's good. But nothing is working on the dinner plates, they must have caught the worst of whatever disaster befell these dishes. My DH thinks the dinner plates are beyond redemption on the green part. The gold inlay prevails! So something crafty for them maybe.

But not before I try some of the solutions on the page marked by huntingtreasure. They are worth all the effort. Too bad the people who owned them aren't alive to tell me what happened.

 

Eton Mess is a glorious thing. If you can get Bailey's strawberries and cream liqueur, pour some on! I prefer it made with raspberries rather than strawberries, but that's just me.

 

I also never heard of Eton Mess and looked it up.
It looks glorious Owned.