Most Collectible Wedgwood Blue Dishes: from Jasperware to China

Wedgwood Blue has a special place in collectors’ hearts. But most people think of that matte blue ceramic pieces when they hear “Wedgwood Blue,” but Wedgwood is not just that.

The company also produced bone china, Queensware, Black Basalt, and even crystal glassware. In this guide, you’ll learn about the most collectible antique and vintage Wedgwood Blue patterns and dishes, and learn what makes them valuable.

The Categories of Wedgwood Blue That Matter

The Wedgwood company has been producing blue pottery in Staffordshire, England, since the time that Josiah Wedgwood developed his process for jasperware production in the 1770s.

Over two and a half centuries, the company has produced at least four different types of blues (sky blue, cobalt or Portland blue, powder blue, and cornflower blue).

But the company also made bone china in many blue patterns. So, Wedgwood blue divides into two broad categories:

• Jasperware – unglazed stoneware with sprigged white relief
• Bone china or earthenware – glazed dishes with painted or transfer-printed patterns

Both categories have collectible tiers. And within jasperware, older solid-color pieces almost always outprice the later jasper dip, where the color sits only on the surface.

Antique & Vintage Wedgwood Blue Dishes Collectors Hunt Today

The Portland Vase is one of the most famous designs of Wedgwood jasperware, which was inspired by an original glass cameo dating back to the first century. Mid-Victorian replicas made from dark blue solid jasper with white relief figures and silver plate lids are much favored by collectors.

Collector’s tip: Check the base. If the blue color continues underneath, you have solid jasper, older and more valuable. If the base is white or cream, it’s a jasper dip.

Manufacturing period	1790s to present
Material	Solid dark blue jasperware
Key features	Classical figures, silver-plate lid
Collector notes	Check for firing separations

The classic pale blue jasper dip ground carries a dancing figures pattern, with maidens in flowing robes sprigged in white around the dome and an oak-leaf border framing both pieces.

Cheese domes are the largest jasperware form regularly made, and complete two-piece sets rarely survive intact and, hence, are highly valuable.

Manufacturing period	Mid to late 1800s
Material	Pale blue jasper dip
Key features	Dancing figures, oak-leaf border

Designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones between 1916 and 1941, Fairyland Lustre is the peak of Wedgwood collectibility. Iridescent blue and violet grounds carry fairies, dragons, elves, and mythical scenes with hand-applied gilt detail.

Every piece carries a Z or W pattern number impressed on the base; that’s how you identify it.

Pieces now command $200 to $3,500+ at online sales, and can even reach several thousand dollars at auctions.

Manufacturing period	1916 to 1941
Material	Bone china with lustre glazes
Key features	Fairies, dragons, gilt detailing
Collector notes	Pattern number Z or W confirms authenticity

Florentine is the dragon-border pattern that almost every Wedgwood collector recognizes. The dark blue W1956 version ran from 1929 to 1989, showing griffin-like dragons chasing each other around a cobalt rim.

Serving forms like covered vegetables, tureens, and large soup bowl sets bring the real premiums over individual plates.

Manufacturing period	1929 to 1989
Material	Bone china, transfer decorated
Key features	Dragon border, cobalt rim

Wedgwood produced Blue Willow from the mid-19th century, often confused with Copeland and Spode versions. The impressed WEDGWOOD & CO mark separates authentic pieces.

Large antique dishes like 14-inch oval platters, charger plates, and lidded dishes, featuring the classic willow scene with pagoda, bridge, birds, and figures, consistently outperform standard dinner plates on the resale market.

Manufacturing period	1840s onward
Material	Earthenware, transfer printed
Key features	Pagoda, willow tree, birds

The Blue Elephant pattern shows ceremonial Indian elephants in full parade dress against a cobalt and gold banded background with pink and yellow accents.

The design was introduced as a premium bone china line and remains one of Wedgwood’s most recognized late 20th-century patterns. Pairs and full sets are more valuable than singles.

Manufacturing period	Late 20th century
Material	Bone china, gold trim
Key features	Ceremonial elephant, cobalt band

Ferrara is one of Wedgwood’s early flow blue transferware patterns, showing a central sailing ship scene against a castle backdrop, framed by dense floral borders.

Introduced in the late 19th century, the pattern draws its name from the Italian city. Multi-piece lots and small place settings in good condition command real premiums.

Manufacturing period	Late 1800s to early 1900s
Material	Earthenware, deep cobalt transfer
Key features	Central ship, floral border

Renaissance Blue is Wedgwood’s neoclassical geometric pattern showing a solid cobalt band with gold-outlined oval motifs and 22k gold rims. The design draws directly from Renaissance-era architectural detailing.

Small dinner sets, like this 5-piece place setting, are more collectible than single pieces.

Manufacturing period	Modern discontinued line
Material	Bone china, 22k gold accent
Key features	Cobalt band, oval geometric print

Wonderlust is a modern Wedgwood chinoiserie line that has quickly built a collector base. This one is a Blue Pagoda teapot, paired with a deep cobalt lid with a white body showing pagodas, palm trees, sailboats, and clouds in orange and blue, finished with fine gold trim.

Since it’s a modern pattern, the values are low. Still, complete pieces like teapots and other lidded dishes can bring decent money. A full tea service can be worth even more.

Manufacturing period	Modern Wedgwood release
Material	Fine bone china, gold trim
Key features	Cobalt lid, pagoda and boat scene

What Actually Drives the Value?

Whether it’s Wedgwood blue jasperware or earthenware, certain factors play a crucial role in determining whether a piece is valuable or not. These are:

• Age matters most, followed by pattern rarity. Pieces made before 1891 lack “Made in England” wording, which was legally required after that date.
• For jasperware, Solid jasper beats jasper dip, and rare colors bring more than common light blue pieces.
• Named designer work, especially that of Daisy Makeig-Jones and John Flaxman, always outperforms unattributed pieces.
• Condition can cut down the value by 40 to 70 percent if there are hairlines, chips, or old restoration.

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Before you sell or buy anything blue and marked Wedgwood, check the impressed mark on the base, note any three-letter date code, and check recent completed sales on eBay for the exact pattern name. These quick checks can tell if it’s a $20 or $200 piece.

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