Soapstone Blocks

Soapstone, also known as steatite, can be found all over the world. Much of the soapstone seen these days comes from Brazil, China or India. Significant deposits also exist in Finland, Australia and Canada, as well as in England, Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the United States.

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Soapstone is used for sculpture, tile, and kitchen countertops, sinks, wall tile and even for wood stoves and fireplaces.

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Soapstone is naturally a softer stone, since it is made up mostly by Talc, among other minerals. Some of these really hard Soapstones out there, have no Talc in them and in petrological terms cannot be called a soapstone, they are serpentinites.

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While not as hard as granite, this material is more flexible. That means it is less breakable, so it won't crack unexpectedly from stress or weight. In addition, soapstone is very non-porous, another important strength that sets it apart from granite, basalt, sandstone and slate.

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• Scratch the surface of the stone with your fingernail. Soapstone is very soft; it is assigned a rating of 2 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which makes it possible to leave marks on the surface of the stone with your fingernail.
•  Rub the stone. There should be a waxy, soapy feel to the surface of the stone, whether it is polished or not.
• Test the stone's temperature. Soapstone retains more heat than any other material. Compared to other stove building materials, soapstone has the capacity to store twice as much heat as steel.

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Soapstone will not absorb water or other cooking liquids making it food safe.

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Soapstone is stain resistant, but will naturally darken with use. Since soapstone is inert and non-porous, it does not need to be sealed, although it is sometimes treated with mineral oil to achieve a dark, even appearance.

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Soapstone is of course non-flammable and has a super high melting point, and talc is not chemically reactive to the caustic gases emitted by wood burning, so it won't stain or discolor in the same way as marble or limestone.

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