Art Nunavik | The art | The materials

Steatite

The term Steatite is generally interchangeable with the term Soapstone although it may imply a slightly greater hardness than is associated with the term soapstone. This greater hardness of Steatite may be due to other minerals in the stone other than talc, or a crystal structure that is finer or denser.

Characteristics :

Color is grey and white to almost silver
1 to 3 on the hardness scale

Serpentine

Serpentine is classified as a group of related minerals in the Hydrous Magnesium Iron Silicate family (similar to Talc and Chlorite) and can have a hardness ranging from 3 to 4.5. Serpentine often incorporates inclusions, which give the stone its unique color variation.

Characteristics :

Color is olive green, yellow or golden, brown, or black
3 to 4.5 on the hardness scale

Argilite

A non-fissile variety of shale or slate. A sedimentary rock formed predominantly from a mixture of clay and other minerals. Its extremely fine grain is known to take excellent detail in carving.

Characteristics :

Color is grey to black, but many other colors are known
2.5 to 4.5 on the hardness scale