a soft, easily worked stone found in many localities in Arizona. The rock is a form of talc and is commonly associated with serpentine.
Steatite is a soft stone which can be carved using metal tools. Steatite hardens when it is fired in a kiln. go back
Stone, used for carved icon in place of Ivory
a soft heavy compact variety of talc having a soapy feel; used to make hearths and tabletops and ornaments
Has a greasy soapy feel to it so was named Soapstone.
(15) -- a variety of talc, commonly of a gray or grayish-green color, with a soapy feel (Oxford Dict.)
a soft stone used for cooking pots and bowls
Soapstone, commonly gray or grayish-green in color.
A type of stone that is soft and easily carved; also called soapstone.
Steatite (also called soapstone) is a soft, easily-carved, fine-grained metamorphic rock that can be green, brown, or gray. This stone has a greasy, soapy feel to it, hence its name. Soapstone is found worldwide. It is carved into figurines, beads, seals, bowls, pipes, cookware, and other items - it has been used since ancient times. Chemically, soapstone is composed mostly of talc, hydrated magnesium silicate (Mg3Si4 O10(OH)2) plus other minerals. Soapstone has a hardness of 1-1.5 (extremely soft - it can be scratched with a fingernail) and a specific gravity of 2.2-2.8.