Summary :
In fact, all of this is from the same “ceramic” family.
Whose mother is our good clay, our earth: as far as we can follow our ancestors, we understand that they quickly discovered pottery and its possibilities.
The clay tableware is at the first stage, it undergoes nothing other than firing to make it more solid.
Afterwards, ceramics encompasses all the different cooking methods that lead to earthenware, stoneware, porcelain. Nowadays, it is true that our manufacturers do not really bother with the nuance of these words.
However, we can notice a few differences with the naked eye.
Porcelain, like stoneware, with a high silica content, vitrifies on firing and is less porous, more solid and with a lower humidity rate;
We recognize a porcelain by its finesse, see its translucency, its often white color. It is also recognized by its slightly metallic sound when tapped with a spoon.
Sandstone is thicker, a little grainy, and often in the natural tones of clay: gray, white, cream, black. Its look is more authentic, more rustic.
Earthenware or ceramic is the result of a second firing to "enamel" it, it is often shiny and colored, of moderate thickness, it can however blacken in the chipped places.
In short, there is something for everyone, and frankly, all these words are no longer important; It is enough to have fun by trusting our senses.