a soft, waxy, silica-rich and compact mineral or stone such as painite, pyrophyllite, and steatite of a greenish, grayish, yellowish, and brownish colors. RI: 1.552–1.600. SG: 2.80–2.90. H: 1–1½. Consequently, it has a greasy touch. Used by Chinese for carving small images, miniature pagodas, and other objects. Some agalmatolites are steatite (or talc) Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 or pyrophyllite Al2Si4O10(OH)2. Synonym: figure stone, pagodite, lardite, pagoda stone, lard stone, figured stone. Sometimes loosely called soapstone or soap rock.
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© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York
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(2009). agalmatolite. In: Manutchehr-Danai, M. (eds) Dictionary of Gems and Gemology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_255
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_255
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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