pipe stem piece? What material is this?

[mikez]

Can't tell if this is a pipe stem piece or a bead. Can't tell the material either. Doesn't look like the white colonial pipes I've seen. Has a pinkish color on the outside and dark grey to black inside. Outer surface feels smooth, almost greasy. Can be scratched with quartz but not a fingernail.
Could it be soapstone?

 

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[Old Dog]

Piece of a ceramic pipestem.
would be my best guess as well.
you got it right off.

Good job.

 

[Tnmountains]

I have some soap stone but it does not look like that. Mho is that it looks as if it has been fired so is either a clay or ceramic. Soap stone does feel waxy though.
TnMtns

 

[The Grim Reaper]

The first picture does look a little like soapstone or pipestone, but the other pictures look like something that has been fired in a kiln so I'm really sure what it is.

 

[Old Dog]

I am pretty sure that it is ceramic.
The leaching of the tar from the tobacco into the stem would alude to that.
The only stone used to make pipes that leaches like that is mearscham.
That comes from Africa, even small pieces would be of value.
The texture of the break is right for ceramic as well

 

[mikez]

Thanks for the responses folks.
I'm pretty sure it is ceramic and not soapstone.
Now I need to learn about pipes and ceramics.