Steatite

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 has been a medium for carving for thousands of years.

Steatite

Steatite is a mineral also known as soapstone.  Steatite also denotes a glassy ceramic material made from soapstone, used by ancient civilizations to make beads, amulets and seals.  To make the ceramics objects, steatite was mixed with additives, carved or molded into the desired shape, and heated to temperatures between 1000 and 1200 °C.  The steatite would vitrify, fusing into the glassy substances, enstatite and cristobalite.  On the Mohs scale the change would an increase hardness from 1 to between 5.5 and 6.5.