Despite many lamp manufacturers using these words interchangeably, there's a difference between ceramic and porcelain. Therefore, when purchasing your porcelain rose lamp, it's critical you ensure it's genuine. Ceramic is a piece that's made from natural clay that's been mixed with water and various other formulations, shaped, glazed, and heated until hardened. Porcelain is a white body of clay with a chemical composition of silica, quartz, kaolin, and feldspar that's used for making very smooth pieces that are hardened by fire. Porcelain is still very smooth even without glaze whereas clay pieces aren't.