Are antique tea cups safe to drink from?

Question

Are antique tea cups like, bone china, or ones with gold trim or patterns inside the cup safe to drink from? If some are and some aren't please tell me how to know which are safe and which are not. For instance, I have one with an iridescent finish on the inside of the cup, safe? Or unsafe? Thanks!

Answer 1

Some may have lead in them. It is according where they were made and how they were fired. Are you just drinking tea in them? It may be all right, but why not put them on the shelf to show off, and perhaps not break. And, please don't put orange juice with acid in them.

Answer 2

If you know the dates they were made, you can find out if they contain lead or not. If not, I say better safe than sorry.

Answer 3

The lead content is all you have to worry about. You should be able to figure this out by the date, company and country in which they were made. There should be maker marks on them to identify them. You can either use a book to find out this information or ask an antique dealer to help you.

Answer 4

as long as they're not made with lead!