Grey & White Alabaster Board14. 5" white and grey Italian alabaster chess board. Alabaster is a name that applies to two minerals when used in producing artwork, gypsum and calcite. Both are easy to work with and attractive, especially for carvings for indoor use. In fact alabaster for this use is best kept indoors as it will not survive long if weathered outdoors. Chiellini of Italy has produced a wonderful variety of alabaster chess sets, both of boards and pieces.