Baryte
Image: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/14730981@N08">James Petts</a> from London, England (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Mineral NameBaryte
Chemical FormulaBaSO₄
Mohs Hardness3
Crystal Systemorthorhombic
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavageperfect basal {001}, good prismatic {210}
Fractureuneven
Specific Gravity4.5
Colorswhite, gray, yellow, brown, blue, green, red, pink, colorless
Transparencytransparent
Type LocalityWorldwide
Mineral GroupSulfates
Usesdrilling mud, medical applications, pigments, filler
Associated Mineralsgalena, sphalerite, fluorite, quartz, calcite
Raritycommon
Description
This specimen is a reddish-orange to pinkish-brown massive baryte, showing a somewhat fibrous or layered texture. White veins, likely quartz or calcite, traverse the sample, with some darker inclusions visible.
Geological Context
Baryte commonly forms in hydrothermal veins, often as a gangue mineral in lead-zinc ore deposits, and can also occur in sedimentary environments as concretions or bedded deposits.
