meerschaum
Feb. 5th, 2014 07:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
prettygoodwordmeerschaum (MEER-shawm) - n., a white clayey mineral, also known as sepiolite (Mg4Si6O15(OH)2ยท6H2O), chiefly used for making smoking pipes; a pipe or cigarette holder made of this.
Although available elsewhere, primarily mined in Turkey. As pipe material, it absorbs moisture and tobacco tar, giving a dry, flavorful smoke, and because it's a soft stone, it carves well -- not to mention mellows into a beautiful amber color. It floats on water and is sometimes found on the Black Sea, looking suggestively like sea foam, from whence its name, from German, literally sea-foam (adopted mid-18th century).
---L.
Although available elsewhere, primarily mined in Turkey. As pipe material, it absorbs moisture and tobacco tar, giving a dry, flavorful smoke, and because it's a soft stone, it carves well -- not to mention mellows into a beautiful amber color. It floats on water and is sometimes found on the Black Sea, looking suggestively like sea foam, from whence its name, from German, literally sea-foam (adopted mid-18th century).
---L.
