Alabaster
It is a
fine-grained, massive, translucent variety of gypsum, a hydrous
calcium sulfate. It is pure white or streaked with reddish brown.
Alabaster, like all other forms of gypsum, forms by the evaporation
of bedded deposits that are precipitated mainly from evaporating
seawater. It is soft enough to be scratched with a fingernail
and hence it is easily broken, soiled, and weathered. Because
of its softness, alabaster is often carved for statuary and other
decorative purposes. It is quarried in England and also in Italy.
Vases and statuettes of Italian alabaster are sold as "Florentine
marbles." The term "Oriental alabaster" is a misnomer and actually
refers to marble, a calcium carbonate; whereas gypsum is a calcium
sulfate.
Important sources of alabaster are Algeria, Egypt, Iran, and Mexico
(from which it is exported under the name Mexican onyx); in the
United States there are important sources in Utah and Arizona.
Oriental alabaster (marble) was extensively used by the Egyptians
in sarcophagi, in the linings of tombs, in the walls and ceilings
of temples, and in vases and sacrificial vessels. The Romans worked
the Algerian and Egyptian quarries and used the stone for similar
purposes. In modern times it was used by Muhammad Ali for his
mosque in Cairo. The French make extensive use of alabaster in
interior decoration.
