Pagodite Explained

Pagodite or agalmatolite is a variety of pyrophyllite used by Chinese artisans for carvings in pagodas and similar objects.^[1] Usually soft and sometimes soapy, it can be a greyish green or greyish yellow colour.^[2] It is sometimes also referred to (loosely) as soapstone.^[3] Small pagodite pieces are used as traditional writing tools in Japan.

Notes and References

1. Encyclopedia: 1930 . Agalmatolite . . 14. 1. 337 . en.
2. Book: Mohsen Manutchehr-Danai . Dictionary of Gems and Gemology . 9 March 2013. Springer Science & Business Media. 978-3-662-04288-5. 351. Excerpts available at Google Books.
3. Book: Nicholas Belfield Dennys. The Treaty Ports of China and Japan: A Complete Guide to the Open Ports of Those Countries, Together with Peking, Yedo, Hongkong and Macao. 2012. first published 1867. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-108-04590-2. 278. Excerpts available at Google Books.