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soapstone
Sign in to saveupright=1.35|thumb|Samples of soapstone
Article
23 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- Petrology <span id="petrology_anchor" class="anchor"><!-- leave underscore in ID as-is --></span>
- Physical characteristics
- Historical use
- Africa
- Americas
- Asia
- Australia
- Europe
- Modern use
- <span class="anchor" id="SteatiteCeramicAnchor"></span>Ceramics
- Crafts
- Mining
- Other
- Safety
- United States
- Other names
- Gallery
- See also
- Citations
- General and cited references
- Further reading
- External links
upright=1.35|thumb|Samples of soapstone
Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium-rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in subduction zones, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx of fluids but without melting. It has been a carving medium for thousands of years.