Firstly, there are two kinds of ceramic cookware. Cookware can be made of ceramic material made from clay, minerals, or sand, called “pure” or “classic” ceramic. Ceramic cookware can also be made of metal (usually aluminum), with a nonstick ceramic coating, often called “modern” or “ceramic non-stick” ceramic cookware.
Pure ceramic cookware is one of the oldest human inventions. It is a natural, non-toxic material that conducts heat less efficiently than metal, so it is slow to heat up, but then creates a gentle, even heat. For that reason, we most often see pure ceramic in bakeware like this classic set from Corning Ware.
When specially treated, pure ceramic can withstand the more abrupt temperature changes of a stovetop, and today there are a few pure ceramic cookware sets available, notably from Xtrema.