CeramaStone was the last Red Wing dinnerware line. The line was well received at trade shows, giving the company hope that CeramaStone would be the break it needed to remain competitive. But a labor dispute ultimately lead to the closing of Red Wing Potteries in 1967, and the CeramaStone patterns were short-lived.
A CeramaStone brochure described the line as “Improved Stoneware”. It stated “CeramaStone is improved stoneware because it combines the basic materials of stoneware, yet we remove the impurities and fire at extremely high temperatures (2200 degrees). The result is a harder, more chip resistant, dishwasher and ovenproof dinnerware.” Another promotional piece stated the clay was an “expertly blended formula” that includes kaolin clay, ball clays, feldspar, flint and talc. CeramaStone pieces featured an alternating design of raised lines and ovals around the sides of hollowware and on the rims of flatware. Each pattern had its own color scheme. The CeramaStone line had several unique pieces including a tall single candleholder that resembled a Tiki figure, a triple candleholder in the shape of a stylized pig, a handled serving dish that resembled a coal scoop, and a set of canisters in three sizes. A January 1967 brochure that covered multiple CeramaStone patterns and a March 1967 price list include a lobster dish, but this piece is not shown in brochures for individual CeramaStone patterns.
Greenwichstone Years: July 1966-1967
The interiors of Greenwichstone bowls and plates utilized the same swirl effect and colors as Ebb Tide. The rims of the flatware and all surfaces of hollowware and the cup & saucer were a dark olive green. The brochure described the pattern as “An unaffected blending of slate green and sand yellow. The swirl center gives a distinctively personal, hand-turned look.” Greenwichstone is the only CeramaStone pattern to appear on the August 1966 dealer price list.
Hearthstone Beige Years: July 1966-1967
Hearthstone Orange Years: July 1966-1967
These two patterns were made exclusively for sale by Sears. They did not appear on any Red Wing price lists. The brochure that introduced them included the Sears logo and stated “Available at Sears retail stores only”.
Hearthstone Beige was quite similar to Greenwichstone. The center of the flatware was light brown or beige and had a slight swirl design, though less pronounced than Greenwichstone or Ebb Tide. The same light brown color was found on covers and the interior of the cup. Hollow ware, the rims of flatware, the saucer, and the 6 inch plate were dark brown.
As the name implied, orange was the base color of Hearthstone Orange. The shade was close to pumpkin and there were no swirls in this pattern. All three sizes of plates, the platters, and the two larger bowls had orange centers with dark brown rims. The cup, creamer, smaller bowls, and other items that did not have covers were all orange. But pieces that had covers are dark brown with orange covers. To confuse the color issue even more, one can find dinner plates and possibly other pieces that should have a dark brown rim but are all orange. These pieces were only partially finished prior to the closing of the company and were sold to the public “as is”.
Adobestone Years: 1967
All Adobestone pieces were a solid matte dark gold color. It was the only CeramaStone pattern that didn’t mix colors on the flatware and hollow ware. The brochure stated “The flowing properties of the gold and wood brown glazes result in a subtle blending of the colors, highlighting the boldly embossed shape.” In other words the glaze adhered differently to the raised design than to the flat areas, which emphasized the design and gave the piece a two toned effect.
Heatherstone Years: 1967
Heatherstone and Charstone Bleu were the only two CeramaStone patterns that included a handpainted decoration. But the decoration appeared on only the dinner plate, salad plate, platter and round vegetable dish (nappy). For Heatherstone, the center of these pieces had a floral design in gold, white and dark brown against a light brown background. The rims were dark brown and the backs of these pieces were white. All other Heatherstone pieces were entirely dark brown, including the covers. This makes it difficult for collectors to differentiate most Heatherstone hollow ware from Hearthstone Beige and Hearthstone Orange hollow ware. All had dark brown bases; the only difference was the color of the covers. And all-brown pieces that did not have covers could go with either Hearthstone Beige or Heatherstone. This can be very confusing until one learns the differences in the color schemes.
Charstone Bleu Years: 1967
Like Heatherstone, Charstone Bleu had a handpainted decoration on the dinner plate, salad plate, platter and round vegetable dish (nappy). For Charstone Bleu, the center of these pieces had a snowflake design in dark blue-green, white and turquoise against a light blue-green background. The rims were dark blue-green and the backs of these pieces were white. All other Charstone Bleu pieces were entirely dark blue-green in a matte finish, including the covers. A Charstone Bleu lobster dish is known to exist.
