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.
