The Probert Encyclopaedia of Rocks & Minerals

STEATITE

Steatite (soapstone) is a variety of talc, hydrated magnesic silicate, usually devoid of a distinct crystalline structure. It is white, blue-grey, green or brown in colour, soft and easy to cut and heat-resisting. Since the earliest of times steatite has been used for ornaments and carvings. In a powdered form it is an ingredient in soaps, paints, lubricants and French chalk.
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