Soapstone Facts

Here's a collection of fast & fun soapstone facts.

• In the olden days, soapstone was used for bed and foot warmers in sleighs and automobiles.
• Soapstone is not slippery when wet.
• Soapstone is a natural non stick surface.

• Soapstone Ridge in Dekalb Georgia was used by Archaic Period Indians of the Southeast (7000 B.C. -1000 B.C.) as a quarry site for soapstone bowls, tools and other items.
• It is millions of years old.
• The Hoysala Empire temples were made from soapstone.
• Early Egyptians carved soapstone into scarabs and seals.

• The National Museum of Finland retains an Elk’s Head Weapon from the Stone Age (7000 B.C. - 6000 B.C.).
• A large soapstone turtle (approx. 3' x 5' x 8') welcomes you to The Cherokee County Historical Museum in North Carolina.
• The Vikings brought items made of soapstone along wherever they went.
• Canada's first production was in 1871 from a deposit in the Eastern Townships, Qué.
  Minerals Development In Canada
• Soapstone deposits in Sharwan Abbottabad were first discovered in 1880.
• During 1893, soapstone was sold in China for 1/2 a penny per pound.
• In Bali, Divinities and demons are carved from soapstone to decorate homes and temples.
• In Finland, amulets and images of gods were crafted out of soapstone.
• In South Carolina, there is strong evidence suggesting vessels were crafted out of soapstone during the Late Archaic Period (3000 B.C.-500 B.C.).
  See www.nationalregister.sc.gov/MPS/MPS023.pdf
• Soapstone smoking pipes have been found among Native American Indian artifacts.
• Soapstone is usually quarried in open pit mines.
• Canada is a minor producer of soapstone.

• The famous 1,500 year old Dorset Eskimo quarry is located in the village of Fleur de Lys.
• In China and India, soapstone was used for ornaments and domestic utensils.
• Indians have used soapstone for ornaments and domestic utilities for the past 7500 years.
• Soapstone was used in colonial New England for fireplace hearths, sinks, countertops, and wood stoves.
• Today soapstone is used most often to produce decorative objects rather than functional objects.

• Soapstone may also be referred to as shona stone in Africa.
• Tint epoxy blue/black to make seams blend in better after you oil your stone.
• Darken the color of a soapstone slab by increasing the hone level.
• Applying mineral oil can change the surface color of the stone.
• You can cut and finish soapstone with common wood and masonry tools.
• Soapstone sheds micro organisms. Bill Russell, CEO - The Alberene Soapstone Co.
• Soapstone is typically honed to a 320 grit finish.
• Soapstone can retain heat without breaking.
• Soapstone Facts: It can be chilled and retain the cold.
• During World War II, talc was on the list of critical minerals.
• Talc is a mineral while soapstone is a rock.
• Pure talc consists of the elements Magnesium, Silicon, Hydrogen and Oxygen.
• The mineral composition of talc varies considerably due to impurities.
• Soapstone consist mainly of the mineral talc and contains varying parts of other minerals: chlorite, mica, tremolite quartz, magnetite or iron compounds.
• Talc is found exclusively in metamorphic rocks.
• Talc is the softest mineral on Mohs scale of hardness.

• Soapstone is either massive or flaky depending on the talc and chlorite content.
• Natural talc is white, yellow, gray, pale green or pale blue and soft.
• Chlorite is a group of rock forming minerals which are soft and usually green. They can also be white, yellow, red, lavender or black.
• Serpentine is a group of rock forming minerals while Serpentinite is a rock.
• Some companies market 'serpentine' as a harder soapstone.
• Soapstone is softer than a fingernail. Serpentinite is harder than a fingernail.
• In the Viking era, soapstone was a main export from Scandinavia for cooking pots and lamps.
• In Pakistan, it was recently estimated that five mined deposits contained more than 2000 billion tons of soapstone.
• Fissures may seem more noticeable in soapstone when compared to other natural stones.
• Supports are recommended for areas where your stone will have an overhang of ten inches or more.
• In Norway, soapstone was considered a valuable commodity because the quarries were often referred to as silver mines.
• The Piggasen soapstone quarry was used before, during and after the Viking Age.
• Soapstone is safe to use in your oven. This is a soapstone fact!
• Soapstone artifacts were recently discovered in South Carolina at a depth of 80 cm below the grounds surface. See www.nationalregister.sc.gov/MPS/MPS023.pdf
• Soapstone is among the most indestructible and lasting rocks.

You'll find More Info & Soapstone Facts Below:

• Compare an oiled & unoiled soapstone countertop.
• Here's a few more soapstone facts AND pictures.
• AND finally, a soapstone kitchen from a fabricators point of view.