Most talc in the United States is produced from an open-pit mine where the rock is drilled, blasted, and partially crushed in the mining operation. The highest grade ores are produced by selective mining and sorting operations.

Great care is taken during the mining process to avoid contaminating the talc with other rock materials. These other materials can have an adverse effect on the color of the product. Contamination can introduce hard particles that cause problems in applications where talc is being used because of its softness or lubricating properties.

Partially crushed rock is taken from the mine to a mill, where it is further reduced in particle size. Impurities are sometimes removed by froth flotation or mechanical processing. The mills usually produce crushed or finely ground talc that meets customer requirements for particle size, brightness, composition, and other properties.