This section is from the book "The Home Cyclopedia Of General Information", by Charles Morris. Also available from Amazon: Home Cyclopedia of Necessary Knowledge.
[Gk. alabastros.] A fine-grained whitish limestone or marble. It is of two kinds, one of which is a carbonate of lime, the other a sulphate of lime or gypsum, and to the latter the term is now generally applied. It is carved into vases, mantel ornaments, statuettes, etc.
 
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