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Biography Soapstone
thumb|right|250px|The lid of a [LINK: [pyrophyllite] box. The lid is 4
inches wide (10 cm).]
Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a metamorphic rock, a
talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is rich in
magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism, which occurs at
the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and
pressure, with influx of fluids, but without melting. It has been a medium
for carving for thousands of years.
Petrology Petrologically, soapstone is composed dominantly of talc, with
varying amounts of chlorite and amphiboles (typically tremolite,
anthophyllite, and magnesiocummingtonite), and trace to minor FeCr-oxides.
It may be schistose or massive. Soapstone is formed by the metamorphism of
ultramafic protoliths (e.g. dunite or serpentinite) and the metasomatism of
siliceous dolostones
