Life is perfect. Coffee tastes better in this Kate Spade Parker Place cup, the birds sing sweeter, and the sky is bluer. On reading some of the other reviews on the other place setting listings from Kate Spade, I think people have forgotten (or don't know) that single place settings were a very common gift for weddings where the couples would register a china pattern before their wedding, in the hope that a kind guest would gift them with a part of the set chosen together just for them to start their new life. Don't expect a full family size setting for this price. Lenox (founded in 1889) and Kate Spade have partnered to offer this gorgeous modern classic in Parker Place. What you're getting for the price is a timeless tradition in high quality china. This is bone china. This is accented with genuine platinum. However, don't feel you have to be on your way down the aisle either to indulge in this dinnerware. I have a family with husband and kids, but I chose this single setting just for me (because I don't want to afford multiple place settings). I work from home and this makes solo meals an event that I look forward to. I used to have an office offsite and I purchased some pretty gold accented pieces from Z Gallerie (not genuine gold, and not fine china) for my assistant and I to eat from. It made the working lunch like a bourgeois escape. Now that I'm flying solo, this is very satisfying upgrade. In our current culture, a single place setting would also make a statement as a newly-divorced gift (because I understand people celebrate that too). This comes with plates only, and a cup. No bowls. Included are the dinner, salad, and bread and butter plates, and the cup and saucer. The cup holds exactly 1 cup, or 8 fluid ounces. I'm an Asian wet-noodle eating fiend so the soup/cereal bowl is a must for me to add. This set is not ideal if you plan on putting it in the microwave due to the platinum. Neither is it oven safe. It is however dishwasher safe, but I'll be hand washing these precious pieces. The color and pattern of the Parker Place setting is elegant and whimsical. I prefer Kate Spade over most other masstige brands like Michael Kors or Coach. The quality seems higher and the esthetic is playful and clean, yet upscale; a little more unpredictable which delights my senses. The quietly cheerful robin's egg blue in these pieces is soft and stately, recalling the class of Wedgwood, Asian celadon, and other vintage porcelain, then contrasted with strikingly modern black lines. I don't believe that all Kate Spade place settings are bone china or have precious metal accents, thus the price difference between the collections. I really think Parker Place puts Kate Spade beyond masstige and into the premium luxury space, especially because of the partnership with Lenox. Or, perhaps Lenox stepped down to broaden its market to appeal to millenials. A card is included in the box (which is a fun meadow green with gold embossing) that offers registration for 50% on breakage replacement, and that's if 'you' break it. I imagine that breakages in shipping would be completely covered either by the vendor or freight company. Mine arrived perfectly intact, with foam sheeting between each piece inside the box. Parker Place makes me really happy. This particular pattern will make an ideal gift for someone who appreciates well balanced, contemporary design, and who won't take the quality of this collection for granted. ** UPDATE: I ended up ordering the soup/cereal bowl to add. It's a perfect size holding two full cups (16 oz) with a little headspace leftover. It's just as beautiful with the same authenticity markings on the bottom. However it didn't arrive in a Kate Spade box or have a breakage replacement card with it. I called the Kate Spade company via the phone number on their website, and they assured me that Amazon sells authentic Kate Spade and that this piece would also be covered. Additionally these are seasonal designs, so get the set and complementing items while you can!
