The colours of tomettes

One of the first visible characteristics of tomettes, and certainly the most sought-after effect, is the variety of colour and the richness of the shades, sometimes even within a single tile.

Different tile works

The colour of a batch of tomettes is determined by its place of production. The colour mainly depends on:

• the clay used (iron-rich clay in the case of red tomettes);
• the firing method (temperature, oxidation).

The same craftsman can produce very different colours depending on the manufacturing process chosen.

Deep red shades are very common in the north of France, whereas ochre, beige or lighter tomettes are more often found in the south.

Endless shades

Within the same batch of tomettes, and sometimes even on a single tile, you can see strong variations in shade. They appear during firing, depending on where the tile was placed in the kiln: the temperature and the amount of oxygen are not necessarily the same everywhere in the kiln, hence the variations in colour.

While this effect was once the result of an "imperfect" craft process, it is now deliberately reproduced to enrich the colours and avoid the uniform look of modern tiles.