Virginia Soapstone

Where Does Virginia Soapstone Come From?

Virginia Soapstone is quarried from the historic Alberene Soapstone Quarry, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This quarry is the only active soapstone quarry in the United States, making Virginia Soapstone a truly rare and locally sourced natural stone.

For more than 100 years, Alberene Soapstone has been prized for its durability, smooth texture, and timeless appearance, making it a preferred material for soapstone countertops, architectural stone, and custom fabrication.

In 2014, Alberene Soapstone was acquired by Polycor, a Quebec-based global stone company. This acquisition expanded production capabilities and increased access to Alberene’s unique architectural soapstone. While the stone is still quarried in Virginia, the raw soapstone blocks are now sent to Polycor’s advanced processing facilities in Canada, where they are cut into slabs.

Thanks to these modern processing plants, today’s Alberene Virginia Soapstone slabs are larger, more consistent, and higher in quality, though they also come at a higher cost due to increased production and transportation expenses.

 

 

 

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Alberene Virginia Soapstone is one of the most popular and sought-after soapstone slabs carried at Classic Soapstone. Quarried in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Alberene Soapstone is known for its durability, rich coloring, and distinctive natural veining.

Historically, Alberene Soapstone was produced in three distinct varieties:

Church Hill Reserve
This premium variety has a low talc content and is recognized as the darkest soapstone quarried in North America. Most slabs feature dark, subtle veining, though some display striking white quartzite or calcite veins, adding dramatic contrast.

Old Dominion
Old Dominion is Alberene’s signature and second most popular variety. It contains more quartzite, calcite, and talc veining, along with distinctive dark mineral inclusions known as “nailheads” scattered throughout the background. This variety offers a classic soapstone appearance with added visual depth.

American Original
Less widely available, American Original Soapstone features a bluish-gray base color with creamy, more pronounced veining. Its unique coloration makes it a rare and desirable option when available.

Since Polycor’s acquisition of Alberene Soapstone, the slabs are now marketed simply as “Alberene Soapstone,” which most closely resembles the Old Dominion variety. Polycor currently offers Alberene Soapstone in both Honed and Antique finishes.

At Classic Soapstone, however, we go a step further. We refinish most Alberene Soapstone slabs to match each customer’s preferred finish, ensuring your soapstone countertops meet both your design vision and functional needs.