Porcelain Sherd
Vitrified white ceramic
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A bright white, glassy fragment that stays translucent at the edges even after years in the surf.
- Typical size
- 0.4–2 in
- How often it turns up
- Uncommon
- Collecting
- Archaeological, leave in place
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Loose modern pieces may be collected where permitted. Leave artifacts in state/federal parks, preserves, protected historic or archaeological sites, shipwrecks and submerged cultural sites; check local rules.
How to tell it apart
- Very white and dense, glassy break
- Thin edges glow when backlit
- Sometimes gilded or painted
Found one?
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Commonly confused with
Clay Pipe FragmentCeramic smoking-pipe fragment
A pipe stem is a narrow clay tube with a central bore; a porcelain sherd lacks that stem channel.
Ironstone SherdWhite ironstone ceramic
Ironstone is opaque at a thin edge; some porcelain glows when backlit.
More beach pottery in the field guide
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