Alabaster
Alabaster is sedimentary (massive gypsum), (CaSO₄·2H₂O dominant). In the hand, it rates 1.5 to 2 on the Mohs scale, and it runs white and cream. Fine-grained creamy stone with a soft internal glow, so soft a fingernail grooves it, the classic carving stone. Evaporite beds; carving alabaster classically from Volterra (Italy), England, Spain, Iran.
The geology.
Alabaster carries the formula (CaSO₄·2H₂O dominant). It belongs to the, system. Catalogues list it as sedimentary (massive gypsum).
It sits at 1.5 to 2 on the Mohs scale. The surface reads dull to waxy, soft glow. Light behaviour is translucent. Specific gravity runs 2.3. The streak is white. It breaks with even, carvable fracture.
Fine-grained creamy stone with a soft internal glow, so soft a fingernail grooves it, the classic carving stone.
It reaches buyers as carvings, bowls, lamps, spheres or eggs.
The origins.
Evaporite beds; carving alabaster classically from Volterra (Italy), England, Spain, Iran.
On value, the database notes: common and affordable.
Traditional associations.
In energy work traditions, associated with gentleness and drawing things to the surface.
We keep this section because people ask. It sits below the geology on purpose, and none of it describes something the stone does.
Spotting the real thing.
Fine-grained creamy stone with a soft internal glow, so soft a fingernail grooves it, the classic carving stone.
Soft and water-sensitive, damage on cheap carvings is wear, not fakery; the name is also loosely applied to harder calcite.
| Looks like | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Marble | Marble needs a knife to scratch and fizzes sharply; alabaster yields to a fingernail |
| Calcite 'onyx' (banded) | Carved 'onyx' bowls fizz in vinegar and resist a fingernail, that material is calcite, often also sold as 'alabaster' |
| Selenite | Same mineral in crystal form, selenite is glassy or satin-fibrous; alabaster is massive and granular |
At-home tests.
Before anyone talks you into a lab report, these are the checks worth doing yourself on alabaster.
| Test | What you should see |
|---|---|
| Scratch check | Fingernail scratches it |
| Acid check | No fizz with vinegar (gypsum form) |
| Under UV | Soft glow when backlit |
Anything that scratches, burns or dissolves the piece is a lab job. Get it appraised rather than testing it apart.
Care & handling.
At 1.5 to 2 on the Mohs scale this is a soft material. Keep it as a display piece, store it apart from harder stones, and skip daily-wear settings.
It breaks with even, carvable fracture, which is worth knowing before you set it or drop it.
Warm water and a soft cloth clean almost everything. Ultrasonic tanks, steamers and household cleaners are where pieces get ruined.
A deeper look.
Extended detail on composition, sourcing, authentication and market value.
The physical record
The formula on record is (CaSO₄·2H₂O dominant). Crystal system:,. Specific gravity: 2.3. Streak: White. Cleavage and fracture: Even, carvable fracture.
How it reaches the market
Evaporite beds; carving alabaster classically from Volterra (Italy), England, Spain, Iran.
What it gets confused with
Marble: Marble needs a knife to scratch and fizzes sharply; alabaster yields to a fingernail. Calcite 'onyx' (banded): Carved 'onyx' bowls fizz in vinegar and resist a fingernail, that material is calcite, often also sold as 'alabaster'. Selenite: Same mineral in crystal form, selenite is glassy or satin-fibrous; alabaster is massive and granular.
What it is worth
Common and affordable.
Where buyers get caught
Soft and water-sensitive, damage on cheap carvings is wear, not fakery; the name is also loosely applied to harder calcite.
One more thing
Egyptian 'alabaster' vessels in museums are mostly banded calcite, the two materials have shared one name for 4,000 years.
An education-first guide.
No product links here. We do not sell alabaster, and a guide that only covers our own shelves would not be much of a guide.
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