A white or pale-green mineral form of magnesium silicate, Mg3Si4O10(OH)2, crystallizing in the triclinic system. It forms as a secondary mineral by alteration of magnesium-rich olivines, pyroxenes, and amphiboles of ultrabasic rocks. It is soaplike to touch and very soft, having a hardness of 1 on the Mohs scale. Massive fine-grained talc is known as soapstone or steatite. Talc in powdered form is used as a lubricant, as a filler in paper, paints, and rubber, and in cosmetics, ceramics, and French chalk. It occurs chiefly in the USA, Russia, France, and Japan.