 | SOAP STONE, natural stone of assorted colors varying from light green to dark brown, browns to blacks and most recently I have found some in pink. Its available in lump form in mines or from vendors & chemically known as Pyrophyllite. |
| WHITE SOAPSTONE, natural stone of creamy white color, soft in constancy. Very delicate & fragile in nature. Used mainly in manufacturing Taj-Models, Animals, Statues & Gift Boxes. |
| Do some soapstone contain asbestos? More or less. California soapstone, for instance, is notorious for asbestos contamination. While one can take samples to a testing lab to make sure, this would probably only be worthwhile if one was quarrying one's own. Most stone dealers are aware of this problem, and only carry stone that is known to be asbestos-free. Some soapstone contains silica, which can cause silicosis when inhaled. This should likewise be avoided, but is not as serious a hazard as asbestos. Granite, for instance, contains a lot of silica, but it may be carved safely if proper precautions are followed. Talc (steatite) is still used for "talcum" (body) powder. Although in the past some asbestos-containing talc was inadvertently used for this purpose; it was the asbestos, not the talc, that was the major problem. Lung scarring is, however, associated with chronic exposure to respirable talc - to be safe, wear a dust mask when appropriate, and clean up after carving. If you are looking for a safer stone to carve that is still relatively soft, try alabaster (a massive form of gypsum, or calcium sulphate), or limestone and marble (calcium carbonate), although these may also be contaminated with silica. |
| If your interested in using Soap-Stone to carve and sculpt please see my Alabaster page as an alternative or option. The colors are magnificent and you will find that it is just as easy to carve and many times it is less expensive. |
| Below is a picture of some Brazilian Soap-Stone. |
| And here is a piece of the (Black Pearl Soap-stone) that I used to carve a few of my sculptures. You Really need to see the finished pieces to appreciate the beauty of this stone. The picture is linked to a site where you can purchase this stone. |
| Here is some lime green Soap-stone from Montana, USA. The picture is linked to a site where you can purchase this stone. |
| And here is my most recent find. Some very beautiful and most uncommon honey yellow & pink Soap-stone that comes from China. This stone is exquisite. The picture is linked to a site where you can purchase this stone. |
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