FAQ

You may hand-wash your dinnerware using the soft side of a scrub sponge and regular dishwashing liquid. However, never use the abrasive side of the sponge, which might scratch or damage the surface of the decoration, especially gold or platinum.

Our dinnerware is also dishwasher-safe. Make sure to select a low-temperature program and do not exceed the recommended amount of detergent. If you are not going to wash your dishes right away (either by hand or in the dishwasher), we advise you to rinse them off with hot water. Load all of the pieces securely in the dishwasher so they can't be dislodged by water action, touch other items and get chipped.

All of our dinnerware patterns are microwave-safe except those decorated with precious metals (gold, silver or platinum). When Bernardaud uses a precious metal for decoration, the percentage of metal is high, so these dinnerware sets should never be put in a microwave.

Our porcelain pieces (fired at 1400°C or 2,552° FHT) can easily withstand the maximum temperature of a conventional oven (300°C or 572° FHT). You can warm your dinner plates in the oven and use Bernardaud serveware for all cooking and baking purposes. However, our products should not be subjected to pronounced temperature differences - not more than 150°C or 302° FHT. For instance, never take a serving dish out of the refrigerator and put it directly into a hot even (or vice-versa). This will make your porcelain dish – or any dish made of a ceramic material – crack.

If you choose to hand-wash your porcelain service, make sure to use a soft sponge and regular dishwashing liquid. Be careful not to use the abrasive side of the sponge, which can scratch or damage the surface of the decorations, especially gold and platinum. However, we recommend that you use a dishwasher, taking care to choose a low-temperature program and not to exceed the recommended amount of detergent. Whichever washing method you choose, we recommend that you wipe off your porcelain service afterwards with a soft cloth to preserve the shine of your decoration.

If your gold or platinum decorated service is not used regularly or if it is stored in a damp room, the gold or platinum may tarnish. The metal may also develop a patina from being rubbed by cutlery. In this case, simply polish it with a soft cloth and a few drops of a solution used for silverware maintenance. Afterwards, there is nothing better than frequent use to keep it looking its best!

Finally, if your service is decorated in the center, we recommend that you place a piece of soft cloth between each plate when you store them in order to protect the decoration.

Before taking delivery, remember to inspect the condition of the package and check that it contains the items ordered. If you observe visible signs of damage, we advise you to refuse the delivery, notifying the carrier of your reservations. You must then communicate these reservations to Bernardaud without delay.

Any item that is not in conformity with the normal use to be expected or is defective may be returned, provided that you first have contacted our Customer Service Department: +1 212 371 4300 or parkavenue@bernardaud.com.

To return ordered goods, please include the return form (click here to download) and order invoice with your package. Please specify whether you are requesting an exchange or a refund. No return may be accepted without both of these documents.

Bernardaud makes every effort to have orders delivered within a maximum period of fifteen (15) business days. You will receive an e-mail giving you the shipping date, your order tracking number and a hyperlink to the carrier's website allowing you to track your shipment. You will be notified by e-mail of any delay in the shipment or delivery of your order.

If you have trouble tracking your shipment, or if delivery is not made within fifteen (15) business days without your having been notified beforehand, please contact the Customer Service Department: +33 (0) 5 55 10 21 86 or contact@bernardaud.com.

If orders placed in France are not delivered within fifteen (15) business days, counting from the date on which Bernardaud confirmed reception of your order, customers may cancel their order by certified mail with return receipt.

Bernardaud's Customer Service will be glad to advise you or answer your questions.

Contact: +33 (0) 5 55 10 21 86 (Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.) or contact@bernardaud.com.

For purchases made through the Bernardaud website: Payment must be made by an accepted payment card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express). Payment security is ensured by Bernardaud's financial partner, Crédit Mutuel (3D Secure).

At Bernardaud's physical stores: Payment may be made by an accepted payment card (CB, Visa, Mastercard or American Express), check or cash (not to exceed the maximum amount permitted under French law).

Bernardaud makes every effort to have your order delivered within fifteen (15) business days, except in the case of limited editions, including those of Jeff Koons sculptures ("Balloon Dog", "Balloon Swan", "Balloon Rabbit" and "Balloon Monkey") in porcelain. You will be notified by e-mail of any delay in the shipment or delivery of your order.

Our dinnerware sets come in white boxes bearing the Bernardaud mark. Our other products come in white and gold or almond-green boxes bearing the Bernardaud mark, adorned with a white ribbon. All of our products are packed with great care and protected to minimize the risk of breakage.

When purchasing online, you will have a chance to write a personal message when you reach the order confirmation stage. The message will be included with your shipment.

If you made a purchase at a Bernardaud store or through our e-boutique less than one year ago, we can provide a duplicate of the invoice. We can also certify, in writing, the catalogue price of products that you have purchased, provided that the items concerned are still in our current collection.

Bernardaud can reproduce a piece that is no longer in its collection, provided that the shape and pattern are still available to work with. For this type of request, please contact the Customer Service Department: +33 (0) 5 55 10 21 86 or contact@bernardaud.com.

Bernardaud is not able to repair a piece that has been chipped or broken. However, it can reproduce a piece that is no longer in our current collection, provided that the shape and pattern are still available. For this type of request, please contact the Customer Service Department: +33 (0) 5 55 10 21 86 or contact@bernardaud.com.

Both at its stores and on its website, Bernardaud offers a selection of items that can be personalized to fit the occasion (e.g. baby, wedding and business gifts). Please note that products that have been customized at the request of the customer can in no case be exchanged or refunded.

We also fill orders for bespoke work (porcelain objects or dinnerware sets) for many hotels and restaurants as well as institutional customers and individuals. For this type of request, please contact us: +33 (0) 5 55 10 21 86 or contact@bernardaud.com.

Bernardaud does not make appraisals, which depend on many factors out of its control (e.g. overall condition, whether or not the set is complete, rarity and desirability). Only a specialized appraiser can assess what your dinnerware set is worth.

However, Bernardaud has extensive archives and can often certify that a particular piece was made at its manufacturing site and bears its mark. This takes at least 15 days, depending on how much research is required.

Bernardaud can also provide the recommended retail price of catalogue products that you have purchased in the past, provided that they are still in our current collection.

All of the pieces bearing the Bernardaud stamp that are sold on our website and at our physical stores are made in France. More specifically, they are manufactured in Limousin, where Bernardaud has two factories: one in Oradour-sur-Glane (Haute-Vienne), 25 kilometers from Limoges, and another in downtown Limoges, where Bernardaud has been making porcelain since the company was founded in 1863. Bernardaud has won a heritage label (Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant) awarded by the French Ministry of the Economy and belongs to the Comité Colbert, a collective dedicated to promote French art de vivre at the international level.

Since 2017, "Limoges" has been recognized and protected as an appellation of origin in the form of a protected geographic indication (PGI). Only companies that manufacture and decorate their products in Limoges or the département of Haute-Vienne may claim it. Currently, only France recognizes this GPI and Bernardaud is striving to gain recognition at the international level.

In 2018, Limoges was designated as a "Creative City" by UNESCO in honor of its heritage and its expertise in the art of firing clay.

Since it was founded in 1863, Bernardaud has relied on industrial manufacturing equipment, but a great many steps have always been done by hand. Bernardaud makes a point of employing the latest and most sophisticated production techniques to improve product quality, maintain competitive selling prices and make affordable luxury items available in many of its product ranges.

On average, each Bernardaud piece passes through the hands of fifty workers. It takes an entire week to carry out all of the steps involved. For example, let's see how a teapot is made. First, it is cast in a hand-made plaster mold, then removed by hand. Once the drying process is complete, the seams left by the mold are removed by hand. At this point, a craftsman adds the handle and spout holes by hand. Glazing is done entirely by hand, using elaborate gestures that vary according to the shape of the piece. Many of the steps involving the detection of defects, decoration (traditional or incrustation), polishing and quality control are then performed by hand. That's why Bernardaud has a workforce of more than 400 at its two manufacturing sites.

Wax manufacturer since 1902, Bougies la Française is a family-run business based in Cugand, Vendée (France), where we make all our candles from mineral-origin waxes, guaranteed GMO-free European rapeseed oil and 100% cotton wicks. The wax contains no animal ingredients and is therefore vegan.

Decoration follows an artisanal manufacturing process that Bernardaud has considerably improved since the 19th century when the decal method was invented. Since Bernardaud has its own printing plant and can develop countless variations for each color and motif, it controls every step of the process.

Each "leaf decoration” is positioned by hand to fit the shape of the individual piece. In some cases, the painter-decorator adds touches by hand to sharpen details or heighten colors. The task of decorating handles with a precious metal (gold, silver or platinum) or applying it in bands is entrusted to the most skilled decoration artisans at the Bernardaud manufacturing site.

Founded in 1737 under Louis XV, then put under the protection of the Comte d’Artois, Louis XVI’s brother in 1774 and sold during the Revolution, the Ancienne Manufacture Royale de Limoges is part of the history of France. It belongs to the Bernardaud group since 1986. It is dedicated to the creation of identical replicas of original pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries and produces all its historical models in its Limoges workshops according to the strictest quality standards. Click here to learn more about the collections of L’Ancienne Manufacture Royale.

Michel Bernardaud set up the Fondation Bernardaud in 2003 to highlight the value of skilled hands. Throughout the year, visitors can take a guided tour on the history and manufacture of porcelain. Every summer, a themed exhibition presents contemporary artists that use ceramic materials, highlighting the diversity of artworks from all over the world. The Fondation expresses the strengths of a house whose philosophy since 1863 has celebrated know-how, innovation and creativity. Click here to find out more.

Started in 1863, Bernardaud is one of the few French luxury houses that has been in family hands without interruption for over 150 years. Representing the fifth generation of family leadership, Michel Bernardaud became Chairman and CEO in 1994. His goal is to perpetuate and diversify traditional skills in an ongoing drive to reinvent porcelain as a craft, an industry and an art.

Any customer with a question is encouraged to contact the Department:
* by phone: +33(0)5 55 10 21 86: (Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:30 to 6 p.m.)
*or by e-mail: contact@bernardaud.com