Terminology: soapstone, steatite, talc

re: are  soapstone and steatite the same thing?
Talc (also known perversely as French Chalk, not to be confused with
whiting, or precipitated chalk) is magnesium silicate, and is, I think,
the primary component of soapstone; however, I would suggest asking a
mineralogist for the technical variations of mineral and stone
formations to get it straight...we art history types tend to be so
imprecise....

Lisa Mibach

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 5:54
                    Distributed: Sunday, May 3, 1992
                        Message Id: cdl-5-54-008
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