Pearl Gray Fiesta Production: 1998 – December 31, 2001
“Better gray than garishness.”
– Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
– French Neoclassical painter
50 Shades of Pearl Gray
A slightly lighter shade than the vintage gray, pearl gray ran from 1999 – 2001. Collectors appreciate it because it compliments other colors.
Actually gray had been first considered to be one of the first set of colors in Fiesta’s 1986 reintroduction, but this idea was vetoed because “Fiesta means color, and gray is not a color.”¹ The skepticism ended up being validated for pearl gray’s production run – sales in stores were tiny, and thus HLC cut the run short.
Since its retirement, collectors have already been actively buying and selling it. Pearl Gray is one of the Post-86 colors which give collectors headaches when it comes to distinguishing between it and vintage pieces. In response to collectors’ confusion about the similarity between the original and newer gray colors, Homer Laughlin added a raised H to the underside of the items which share the old-style molds (like disc water pitchers and sauce boats).
Other collectors and sellers will place items from the Pearl Gray Fiesta line here, so check us frequently.
Texas Cooking is a proud member of the Homer Laughlin China Collectors Association If you are interested in collecting this great dinnerware, look into this great organization.