The Jewellery of Dining: Introducing Rialheim’s New Ceramic Dinnerware Collection

Rialheim proudly launches its first-ever ceramic dinnerware collection, handcrafted from the finest South African stoneware. Inspired by the ocean, shaped by human hands at Clairvaux Estate, and glazed for long-lasting beauty, this collection celebrates modern design, timeless form, and everyday durability.

Each piece is designed and made in South Africa, perfect for homes that value craftsmanship, authenticity, and objects that hold meaning.

From Cape Agulhas to Clairvaux, Robertson: An Ocean Story Written in Clay

This collection traces its journey from Cape Agulhas, where the warm Indian Ocean meets the cold Benguela current, all the way to Robertson, where each piece is conceptualised, sculpted, and brought to life.

It is an ode to nature: a celebration of coral reefs, tides, textures, and the quiet magic of the deep. A story shaped slowly in clay, ready to become part of the summer of memories created around your dinner table.

Human Made, Finished in Light: The Making of the Collection

Every item in this handcrafted dinnerware collection is shaped by hand to mimic the organic structure of coral formations. Once sculpted, each piece begins its journey through multiple human-made stages:

1. Hand Shaping

Artisans sculpt each form to echo the curves, rhythms, and textures found beneath the ocean’s surface.

2. Hand-Painted Base

A soft cream base coat is applied by hand to every piece, giving each one a warm, natural foundation.

3. Solar-Powered Firing

The dinnerware is fired in Rialheim’s solar-powered kiln, spending approximately 12 hours in the firing cycle and 24 hours cooling down, a process that strengthens the stoneware while significantly reducing environmental impact.

4. The Saffron Border

Once cooled, artisans carefully apply the delicate saffron border. This meticulous, time-intensive step requires precision and patience to achieve a perfect, timeless finish.

5. Hand Glazing

Each piece is hand glazed to create a protective, luminous surface that is both functional and beautiful.

Every step is touched by human hands.
Every piece is crafted to hold the stories you’ll create around your table.

Why We Use Stoneware for Our Dinnerware

Our dinnerware collection is made from stoneware, a harder clay body fired at higher temperatures than earthenware. This makes stoneware ideal for everyday use.

Benefits of Stoneware Dinnerware

• Durable for daily dining
• Dishwasher safe
• Microwave safe
• Resistant to chipping and thermal stress

While Rialheim’s sculptural homeware pieces are created from earthenware, perfect for expressive 3D forms, stoneware allows us to create a functional, long-lasting dinnerware range that balances beauty and practicality.

Designed for Living. Made for Memories.

This ceramic dinnerware collection is more than plates and bowls, it is the jewellery of dining.

Crafted in South Africa, inspired by the ocean, and made for the stories you will share across your table.

This collection is made for the discerning customer who seeks a handmade dinnerware range where a love for clay is allowed to write its own story. A story shaped by human hands, where every subtle variation becomes a quiet testament to the maker’s touch. Here, imperfections are not flaws, they are the footprints of craftsmanship, the gentle marks of movement that reveal the journey from raw earth to finished piece. 

This collection consists of:

• Saffron Coral Reef Shell Trinkets
• Saffron Coral Reef Small Bowls
• Saffron Coral Pudding Bowl
• Saffron Coral Pasta Bowl
• Saffron Coral Reef Side Plate
• Saffron Coral Reef Dinner Plate
• Saffron Reef Platter
• Saffron Coral Reef Shell Ramekin
• Saffron Coral Swirl Jug
• Saffron Coral Reef Spoon Rest
• Saffron Coral Salad Leaf Bowl