The rock Steatite, also called soapstone, is the material we use for our countertops, sinks, masonry heaters, flooring, and many other architectural applications. Soapstone (Steatite) was also used to “coat” the most famous structure in Brazil, the large image of Jesus on top of the mountain overlooking the city of Rio De Janeiro. This rock is composed of several minerals but the most abundant is Talc. Steatite is harder than Talc, reason why it is suitable for the applications cited above.
This natural quarried stone, is softer than most other natural stones. Although a soft stone, soapstone is a very dense (non porous) stone. Many people wrongly associate softness with porosity, soapstone is denser than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Because soapstone is so dense, it will not stain, in other words if anything is spilled on the stone, it will stay only on the surface and will not penetrate the stone.