Featured WHAT IS LARGE MID CENTURY? ASHTRAY MADE OF?

Can anyone tell me what this is made of?
What year/years?
A friend saw it & she immediately told me "Himalaya sea salt" when I asked her! I don't know if that's a real thing, but I like that name for some reason - it could sell shampoo, cereal...something; it's a cool name!
Is this made from Himalaya sea salt?! I thought it was ridiculous - but it has a shell like thing on the top edge to protect? the stone (or sea salt?) - what is that?
Seriously, I thought quartz, but it feels soft like soap stone - but that couldn't handle burning cigarettes could it?
PS - It's heavy!

 

Looks more like a hunk of quartz/quartzite to me. If it's Himalayan salt - it would be pink, would taste salty - and be easily scratched with a table knife. Soapstone would be easily scratched with a table knife too. Quartz would not. Agree that it's an ashtray, and I think the "shell" like stuff on the edge is just a natural part of the stone - may be a different material than the white part but wasn't put there artificially I wouldn't think.

 

Can't say that is what it is, but they do exist.
https://www.amazon.com/Paykoc-Imports-HD-SALT-ASHTRA-Himalayan-Salt/dp/B075FDJYBJ

 

Soapstone can handle a lot of heat,it was used as molds for gold/silver jewelry,etc. for centuries.Today it is often used in wood burning stoves. http://www.fleetplummer.com/soapstone-wood-stoves/

 

Items can be made of rock salt, like Himalayan salt. The fashion for Himalayan salt is pretty recent, and as Aaron said, almost all Himalayan salt is pink. It is mined in Pakistan.

In Europe we used get items made of Polish rock salt, which has a nice warm yellowish colour.

 

A page with Himalayan rock salt ashtrays, first they list the health benefits of Himalayan rock salt, then they show the ashtray range.
http://natural-salt-lamps-tiles.com/himalayan-natural-crystal-salt-ashtrays-handcrafted.php

 

unbelievable!

 

I'll try to scratch it to see how easy it is to do

 

Try licking it.

 

I'm with @aaroncab on this one. I think these were pretty popular in the... early seventies?

This is the era I'm thinking of: https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/dining-entertaining/ashtrays/italian-onyx-ashtray/id-f_8316363/

 

I'm with Jivvy; I'd say this is one of the types of stone commonly called onyx. Doesn't look like any kind of soapstone or salt to me.