Soapstone is a soft metamorphic rock that feels smooth and slippery to the touch, almost like a bar of soap (which is how it got its name). Geologists value soapstone because it's one of the softest rocks on Earth: you can actually scratch it with your fingernail or carve it with simple tools.

People have used soapstone for thousands of years precisely because it's so easy to work with. Ancient cultures carved bowls, cooking pots, and sculptures from it. Vikings used soapstone to make cooking vessels that could sit directly in fire without cracking. In colonial America, settlers carved soapstone into bed warmers and cooking pots. Today, artists still carve soapstone into beautiful sculptures, and builders use it for countertops and sinks because it resists heat and stains.

The stone is usually gray, green, or brown, and it contains a mineral called talc (the same mineral used in some powders). When heated, soapstone absorbs and holds warmth for a long time, which is why some wood stoves are lined with it. Its scientific name is steatite, but almost everyone just calls it soapstone.