Yixing China’s zisha clay is most safe for tea drinkers for other reasons. Since the clay deposits vary in color, they can be mixed as desired to produce different colored pots; therefore, no artificial dyes or colorants need be introduced. This clay is not merely safe, its richness in minerals makes it nutritious! Once upon a time, there is a rich man fond of tea. He always meet friends with tea, no matter rich or poor. As long as someone comes to ask for tea to drink, he would treat them with hospitality. The purple clay teapot can be called the best teapot and it is favored by almost tea lovers. Teapot's quality varies. A good purple clay teapot is a good art and craft and it costs much. It's definitely that purple clay teapot selection is not easy for many people.

CUSTOMS CHARGES: All commercial goods arriving from the UK are subject to VAT, Import Duty and a handling fee in the country receiving the goods. While yixing clay is, indeed, an amazing clay, it's not a must to practice Gong Fu Cha. In fact, the origins of the modern Gong Fu Cha come from Wuyi Shan and Chaozhou. While Wuyi Oolongs (Yancha) were introduced to yixing pretty early on, they didn't have yixing teapots in Chaozhou. Instead, they make their own Chaozhou clay teapots which they've been successfully using with Dan Gong Oolongs for centuries. The other famous Chinese clays are Ni Xing clay from Guangxi, Jian Shui clay from Yunnan, and Rong Chang from Sichuan. Each has its own characteristics beneficial for tea. Also, as mentioned above, some teas may benefit more from being brewed in porcelain, glazed teaware, glass, or even in silver teapots. Moulded teapots are made by a mass-production process of assembling pre-moulded pieces by machine, such as the two halves of the teapot and lid and attaching a pre-moulded spout and handle. Even though moulded teapots are not as valuable as handmade or half-handmade teapots, many are made with Yixing clay and are still superior for tea-making than glazed or porcelain teapots. The stoneware teapot was made with red-brown clay, made to have an unglazed finish. The shape of the teapot is similar to that of the Yixing Zisha teapot, taking on a traditional Asian form that makes for a stunning tea accessory. 5. Pair of Famille Rose Coral-Ground TeapotsYixing clay comes from Yixing town in Jiangsu Province, situated in the delta of the Yangtze River. It's a compound clay rich in minerals such as kaolin, mica, quartz and has high iron oxide content. Used almost exclusively for making teaware, it plays one of the central roles in Gong Fu tea culture. The umbrella name for all the Yixing clays is Zi Sha, which means "purple mud". Yixing pottery is a craft, and women work in every type of craft in China. Unlike other crafts, Yixing ware bears the names of its makers, which means there is evidence of the number of women working in this field. In Yixing, many people know how to make teapots — farmers and their entire families make teapots in winter, although their work cannot be compared to those of the artist potters. 8. What are the qualities new collectors should look for in a Yixing teapot? The quality of the jet matters when the force of its pressure should be able to "pierce" the tea leaves, extracting the taste from them. A jet that breaks and thereby loses pressure cannot accomplish such a task. Tianqingni (天青泥) is a Legendary Zisha. It was the most prized clay of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and was already rare during those times. Many potters dream is, to work with it in their life.

Important note: don't brew tisanes in unglazed teapots that you are not planning to dedicate strictly to herbal tea. Many non-camellia sinensis plants have very potent oils that will be impossible to remove.

How rare is ZiSha clay? Is Yixing clay extinct?

Older teapots have a distinctive patina from the infusion of tea oils and constant use which can dull the pitch. New teapots have a similar shine from a wax coating which protects the clay and makes them look nice on the shelf. (see how to remove this coating below in Seasoning A New Teapot below)