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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;all_fakes, post: 223863, member: 55&quot;]Two thoughts:</p><p>1) When scratched, soapstone does yield a white powder (talcum powder is, or at least used to be, made in part from ground-up soapstone).</p><p>2) There is a casting process in common use, where the item is cast in &quot;Hydrostone&quot; (a kind of plaster; still used under that name in model railroading) and then given a thin top-coat of resin; this yields a hard glossy finish, and produces a color often mistaken for carved stone. Such castings do not respond to a hot-pin test; and they also produce a white powder when scratched.&nbsp;&nbsp; The distinguishing feature of these castings is that the items will be identical; they may also show tiny bubbles or other artifacts from the casting process, though these can be obscured by the coat of resin.</p><p>The marks on the bottom of your two pieces do not appear to be identical, but they are left and right versions, and would not be identical even if made by a casting process; a casting company would be using different molds for the left and right versions.&nbsp; Close examination may tell whether they are carved or cast; but it is very common for people who are unfamiliar with these cast items to mistake them for stone.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; I&#039;ve even met a buyer who was was absolutely convinced that his item was carved argillite, even though it bore the logo of a casting company.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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