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What is Buddstone?
Buddstone is a bright green variety of chalcedony that derives its green color from abundant inclusions of fuchsite mica. As a chalcedony, buddstone has a hardness of about 7 on the Mohs scale – which makes it much more durable than verdite. It also polishes to a brighter luster. This makes buddstone the preferred material for…
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Uses of Verdite
Verdite is soft and it often has a uniform texture. Those properties make it a good stone for making small sculptures. The people of South Africa have used verdite for generations, and it is often considered to be part of their culture. Some verdite contains visible inclusions of red (ruby) corundum. Some sculptors have creatively integrated…
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What is Verdite?
“Verdite” is a trade name used for grayish green to bright green metamorphic rocks that derive their color from abundant inclusions of fuchsite, a chromium-rich variety of muscovite mica. It often exhibits a foliated texture. The name verdite is from the Latin word viridis, which means “green”. Verdite is found at numerous locations in South Africa, the Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland), and Zimbabwe. It…
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Soapstone Cooking Pots
Soapstone cooking pots absorb heat readily from the stove and radiate it into the soup or stew. Because their walls are thick, they take a little longer to heat than a thin metal pot. However, they heat their contents evenly and retain their heat when removed from the stove – the contents of the pot…
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Soapstone Woodstoves
Soapstone does not burn or melt at wood-burning temperatures, and it has the ability to absorb heat, hold heat, and radiate heat. These properties make it an excellent material for making wood-burning stoves. The stove becomes hot and radiates that heat into the room. It also holds heat, keeping the coals hot and often allowing…
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Soapstone Tiles and Wall Panels
Soapstone tiles and panels are an excellent choice where heat and moisture are present. Soapstone is dense, without pores, does not stain, and repels water. Those properties make soapstone tiles and wall panels a good choice for showers, tub surrounds, and backsplashes. Soapstone is heat resistant and does not burn. That makes it an excellent…
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Soapstone Kitchen and Laboratory Countertops
Soapstone is often used as an alternative natural stone countertop instead of granite or marble. In laboratories it is unaffected by acids and alkalis. In kitchens it is not stained or altered by tomatoes, wine, vinegar, grape juice, and other common food items. Soapstone is unaffected by heat. Hot pots can be placed directly on it without fear…
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How is Soapstone Used?
The special properties of soapstone make it suitable, or the material of choice, for a wide variety of uses. A number of examples of soapstone use are explained below and in the photograph captions on this page. Countertops in kitchens and laboratoriesSinksCooking pots, cooking slabs, boiling stonesBowls and platesCemetery markersElectrical panelsOrnamental carvings and sculpturesFireplace liners…
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Physical Properties of Soapstone
Soapstone is composed primarily of talc and shares many physical properties with that mineral. These physical properties make soapstone valuable for many different uses. These useful physical properties include: soft and very easy to carvenonporousnonabsorbentlow electrical conductivityheat resistanthigh specific heat capacityresistant to acids and alkalis Soapstone is a rock, and its mineral composition can vary. Its composition…
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How Does Soapstone Form?
Soapstone most often forms at convergent plate boundaries where broad areas of Earth’s crust are subjected to heat and directed pressure. Peridotites, dunites, and serpentinites in this environment can be metamorphosed into soapstone. On a smaller scale, soapstone can form where siliceous dolostones are altered by hot, chemically active fluids in a process known as metasomatism.