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1983 - CornerStone Cups
(Centura, Suprema, Corning Ware, stoneware)
(7 oz) Patterns: Abundance, Alpine Blossom, Belle Grove, China Blossom, Coastal Breeze, Country Morning, Country Promenade, French Garden, Glenora, Heather's Plate, Heirloom Bloom, Iris, Mirage, Royal Garden, Southwest Heritage, Spring Pond, Summer Mist, Symphony, Thymeless Herbs.
Spring Pond (Centura), Country Promenade (stoneware), French Garden (Suprema), Thymeless Herbs (Corning Ware), Abundance (stoneware).
Entering the marketplace in March 1983, the CornerStone Collection as a whole survived just one decade, but a few patterns in this style remained in production until 2009. CornerStone cups are based on one of the shapes used with Centura Tableware. Dates pertain to this cup style in general; the date range of each individual pattern varies.
The earliest CornerStone cups are made of beige Centura, and stamped with embossed lettering: "CORNING ... No Microwave". (Photo #1)
Centura glass-ceramic was dropped in 1986 and stoneware cups and cream & sugar sets were imported from other makers. Many pieces had a sticker stating "Made In Japan" or "Made in Korea". Stoneware cups from the late 1980s have a slightly different shape, with rounded corners and a chunkier handle. They are marked in grey ink with "CORNING ... Corning N.Y. USA ... Microwave Safe". (Photo #2)
A beige version of Suprema glass-ceramic was put into production around 1991, and CornerStone cups would employ this new formula through the 1990s. They are embossed with simply "CORNING ... USA". Although the stamp does not mention it, they are safe for the microwave. (Photo #3)
From approximately 1999 to 2002 real Corning Ware was used for this cup style. The Corning Ware's colour, Soft Beige, is an ivory shade that is lighter than beige Corelle. They are usually marked "CORNINGWARE ... Made In USA", or possibly "CORNING ... Made In USA". (Photo #4)
Stoneware returned for CornerStone cups around 2003. This latest version is generally marked with "CORELLE Coordinates ... Stoneware ... (plus the country of origin)". (Photo #5)
Exceptions:
Heirloom Bloom and Mirage do not belong to the CornerStone Collection, they have a standard rimmed plate style instead. Mirage cups are paired with coupe saucers, but Heirloom Bloom uses  CornerStone shaped saucers. Mirage's cream & sugar set is also borrowed from CornerStone.
(Photo: Mirage stoneware sugar bowl, Suprema cup with saucer.)
Similarly, Heather's Plate, with a white background and coupe plate style, is not a CornerStone pattern. It was a special commemorative design for Corelle's 25th anniversary in 1995, and it represents the only time the CornerStone cup was made for a white Corelle pattern. The three-piece place setting did not include a saucer.
Abundance cups & saucers: Suprema cup (left); Corning Ware cup (right).
Creamers & Sugar Bowls:
The earliest type of CornerStone cream & sugar set is made of Centura. The sugar bowl is topped by a beige plastic flat lid with no handle or knob, and creamers are the same size & shape as cups. The style of the cream & sugar set is also borrowed from Centura Tableware.
CornerStone sugar bowl and creamers: Summer Mist (Centura); Royal Garden, Glenora, Abundance (stoneware).
These shapes were reproduced next in stoneware, and this time the sugar lid is stoneware with a tall knob. The matching creamer is taller than the cup and it holds about 8 oz. Suprema and real Corning Ware were never used for cream & sugar sets.
The most recent type of cream & sugar is also stoneware, but in a larger size and more rounded shape. It is the standard shape of the modern sets and it is common to many product lines, not just CornerStone.
Patterns: Abundance, Alpine Blossom, Belle Grove, China Blossom, Country Promenade, French Garden, Glenora, Iris, Mirage, Royal Garden, Southwest Heritage, Spring Pond, Summer Mist, Symphony.
Related Articles:
Corelle Profile: CornerStone Collection
Corelle Profile: Heather's Plate
What are glass-ceramics?
What is Centura?
What is Suprema?
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