Ceramics are crystalline compounds of metallic and nonmetallic elements. Ceramics are the most rigid of all materials with an almost total absence of ductility. They have the highest known melting points of materials with some being as high as 7,000°F (3,870°C) and many that melt at temperatures of 3,500°F (1,927°C). Glass, brick, cement and plaster, dinnerware, artware, and porcelain enamel are all examples of ceramics.