Question:
Hello! My mom recently rediscovered her sister’s CeramaStone by Red Wing place settings in our basement. My aunt purchased the set in Red Wing, MN in the early 1970s. The design in the center is brown, orange, and white hand painted flowers with a dark brown pattern around the ridge. We have 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, a platter, and a serving bowl that all match. The 4 dinner plates are labeled "Heatherstone" on the back and numbered 227. The other pieces have nothing on the bottoms.

Additionally, we have 4 coffee cups and 4 sacuers, salt and pepper shakers, and a cream and sugar set (with lid) that are painted solid brown. They have the same brown pattern as the plates around the edges. They also have no labeling on the bottoms.

Any information you can tell us about these pieces is appreciated. They are all in great condition. My aunt has since passed away and we are wondering what to do with this beautiful set. Thank you! Kelly Larson PS – we do not have pictures, as we already packed the pieces back up in the basement. We can provide them if necessary. Thank you! Kelly

Answer:

All of the pieces you have described are part of the Heatherstone dinnerware pattern. The dinner plates, salad plates, vegetable bowl and platters were the only pieces that featured the hand painted floral decoration. All other pieces were entirely dark brown in color. Heatherstone is one of six patterns in the CeramaStone shape. CeramaStone was Red Wing’s final line of dinnerware; the shape was introduced in mid 1966 and the Heatherstone pattern was added in early 1967. Red Wing Potteries closed in mid-1967, so Heatherstone was made for only a brief period and is fairly difficult to find today. The dark brown color was also used for two other CeramaStone patterns, Hearthstone Orange and Hearthstone Beige. The similar Heatherstone and Hearthstone names as well as sharing the dark brown color is often a source of confusion with these patterns. Values for Heatherstone are in line with the values for most Red Wing dinnerware patterns; it isn’t one of the “hot” patterns but there are certainly collectors who look for it. For suggestions on selling Red Wing please see the FAQ link at the top of this page.

Larry