Moss Agate | Susan Williams-Ellis 22ct Gold Original

Following the opulence of Malachite, Susan Williams-Ellis looked deeper into the world of geology to create Moss Agate. Inspired by 19th-century geology texts, Susan became fascinated by the natural "impurities" found in agate—fractures and mineral deposits that resemble ethereal ferns, forests, and fireworks.

What began as an artistic endeavour ended in a scientific breakthrough: Susan invented an entirely new ceramic technique.

The Accidental Invention

The creation of Moss Agate was a painstaking multi-step process:

• The Background: Susan hand-drew a complex grid of "noughts, crosses, and dots."

• The Cameos: Individual agate "cameos" were scattered over the background and engraved onto copper sheets.

• The Lustre Discovery: Susan applied "Best Gold" (liquid 22-carat gold lustre) to the cameos. During firing, she noticed the underlying ink partially resisted the gold. This created a "ghostly," three-dimensional effect where the mineral patterns seemed trapped inside the gold, looking more like real gemstone cabochons than a flat print.

The Rarest of the Rare

Because the process was so long, difficult, and prohibitively expensive, Moss Agate never entered full commercial production.

• The "Family & Friends" Range: Most pieces were created as personal gifts for Susan’s inner circle.

• Shapes and Bodies: You will find this pattern on Gray’s Pottery shapes (apothecary jars, tapered mugs, and lidded jars) or on rare Tuscan bone china coffee sets.

• The "Cabinet" Condition: Because these were the most expensive items Susan ever designed, they were treated with immense reverence. Most surviving pieces are in pristine condition, having spent their entire lives behind glass.

Collector's Insight: The Holy Grail

In the world of Portmeirion collecting, Moss Agate is the ultimate prize. It represents the peak of Susan’s experimentation with metallic lustres and her transition from the Gray's Pottery era into the independent Portmeirion brand. Finding an original piece in 2026 is an event that stops the hearts of serious aficionados.

Hunting for a genuine Moss Agate treasure? Explore our Moss Agate archive here.

Inspired by her 1959 studies at the Natural History Museum, Moss Agate was the sophisticated successor to the Malachite range.