Widely utilized for thousands of years, soapstone is a relatively soft rock that can be readily carved into an array of items with a knife or other sharp object. It has been used since antiquity, for instance, to create sculptures, jewelry, and other ornaments, as well as more practical items, such as cooking utensils. In colonial America, soapstone gained significant use as a building material and became a particularly popular choice for sinks and fireplace hearths. Today, the rock, which varies from gray to green to brown in color, is also commonly used to create fashionable and functional countertops.