Barite

Mineral Name: Barite or Baryte

Chemical Composition: BaSO4 - Barium sulfate

Color: White, Grey, Brown, Blue, Yellow

Streak: White - Clear

Hardness: 3 - 3.5

Cleavage/Fracture: Barite has basal cleavage in 3 directions that are at right-angles. oftentimes looks like a rose.

Crystal Form: Barite has more than one crystal form. The first of many crystal shapes is tabular, which can be shaped like a small or thin box. Barite can also have a prismatic crystal shape, which means that it is basically shaped like a square with all sides being the same length and width. Another crystal shape is bladed, which means it is shaped like a knife. Barite can also be nodular, which looks lumpy. Barite can also be in the stalactitic form, which is similar to elongate, conical features found in some caves. The last and probably most interesting shape barite can have is in rosette form, which are circular, bladed formations of barite.

Luster: Pearly to Vitreous

Special Features: Barite is known for its high density when compared to other nonmetallic minerals (1). Sometimes barite forms a rose petal pattern called a Desert Roses, which can lead it to be mistaken for other minerals (3, 4). Barite tends to form this rose-like pattern when it occurs as a concretion within sandstone (2).

Varieties: Many varieties of barite are named for their crystal formation as opposed to their composition. These variously shaped varieties include Desert or Barite Rose, Messerspit Barite (Bladed Barite), and Oakstone (Banded Crystalline Barite). There are also some barite varieties that are differentiated by chemical impurities such as Hokutolite (Plumboan Barite, or barite that contains lead) and Celestobarite (Strontium Barite). (3)

Mineral Group: Barite is in the sulfate and anhydrous sulfate groups. The sulfate group is any mineral that contains one or more metallic element in addition to the sulfate radical (SO4-2). Sulfates also tend to be soluble meaning they contain some amount of water. Anhydrous sulfates are basically sulfates that don’t have water in their chemical composition.

Environment: Barite is sometimes found in basalts, but it is mostly found as a hot spring precipitate and from hydrothermal vents, such as black smokers on divergent plate boundaries. When it’s found in hydrothermal veins, barite doesn’t have commercial value but is surrounded by other minerals with commercial value (2, 11). This occurrence is known as gangue: non-valuable minerals that are surrounded by valuable ones (11). Barite in hydrothermal veins can be surrounded by or host sulfide ores or precious metals such as antimony, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, and silver (2). Barite can also be found in veins of silica, sulfide, fluorite, and carbonate (8).

In addition, barite occurs within sedimentary rocks as concretions (2). A concretion is a phenomenon where a mineral is compacted between sedimentary rocks’ particles or forms compacted layers outside a sedimentary rock (9). The mineral typically gets into the rock via “ground water” flowing through the rock deposit (10). Barite in a concretion forms between the rocks’ sand grains or particles where it becomes cement (2, 9, 10). When barite occurs as a concretion within limestone or dolostone, it’s sometimes compacted onto the soil-bedrock (2). This is where commercially-valuable barite forms and is drilled from (2). When barite occurs as a concretion in sandstone, it forms between sandstone’s grains and forms a shape called a “Desert Rose” (2).

Associated Rock types: Barite can be found in hydrothermal veins, concretions, or vein fillings. In hydrothermal vents, barite “holds” the valuable minerals in the veins (2, 11). Barite can also be found in concretions or vein fillings in sedimentary rocks such as limestone, dolostone, and sandstone (2).

Occurrence in North America: Barite can be found in these states: Colorado (Eagle Mine, Black Cloud Mine, Bulldog Mountain Mine, Sterling Mine), Washington (Goldmyer Hot Springs), Nevada (Dee North Mine, Meikle Mine), South Dakota (Elk Creek, Box Elder Creek), Oklahoma (Lake Thunderbird), Pennsylvania (Binkley-Ober Quarry), Georgia (PAGA Mine), Connecticut (Cheshire Barite Mines, Jinny Hill Mine). (8)

Economic Uses: In order for barite to be economically useful, it must make up the majority of the deposit (1). It’s primarily used in drilling (2, see Industrial Uses). Barite is used to manufacture everyday items such as clothing, truck mud flaps, and playing cards (2). It makes the playing cards easier to handle (2). It’s also used in linoleum flooring, ceramic glazes, and fireworks (7). Barite can be used to make containers that hold radioactive material, which are then used to make computer and TV screens (1, 7). Barite is also used in the creation of a white pigment called lithopone. Lithopone was created to replace lead carbonate, a substance used to manufacture white pigment, due to health concerns (12). It’s manufactured by mixing barium sulfate and zinc sulfide together (12). Then the lithopone mixture separates when adding barium sulfide and zinc sulfate (12). Last, the mixture must be filtered and roasted to finally create the lithopone pigment (12).

Industrial Uses: Barite is used to drill petroleum as part of the drilling mud (1). Companies pump the mud while drilling to compensate for the high heat and pressure underground. The high density mud is pumped down the drill stem, exits through the cutting bit and returns to the surface between the drill stem and the wall of the well. This application of drilling mud does two things: it cools the drill bit and suspends the rock cuttings produced by the drill carrying them up to the surface. (1, 2, 5, 6). These rock cutting can also be used by scientists for study (2, 5, 6). The drilling mud liquid enters the surrounding dirt’s pores and creates a thin layer of solid mud that keeps the tunnel from collapsing (6).

Additionally, barite is used in the medical field to take x-rays (1, 2). Patients drink barium powder, which contains barite, and then receive an x-ray (2). This barite mixture enables doctors to see the esophagus (2). It also helps doctors see patients’ gastrointestinal area. When the patient drinks a small cup of liquid that contains barium powder in a milkshake consistency the liquid coats the patient’s esophagus. When the x-ray is taken it will show the soft tissue of the esophagus because the barium is opaque to x-rays and blocks their passage. A barium enema is used similarly to image the shape of the colon. (1). Because of barite’s density, doctors can see body parts that x-rays could normally not capture (1, 2).

First Notable Identification: Barite was initially described in Bologna, Italy in the year 1603 by shoemaker turned amatuer alchemist Vicenzo Cascariolo (13). He originally thought he discovered the Philosopher’s Stone as rock he found was heated by the sun during the day, glowed during the night. Barite was later named in 1800 by Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten from the greek word “βάρυζ” (8).

How We Identified It: Barite’s density is its most notable characteristic (1, 2, 3. 7). Although density is barite’s most popular feature, barite is also known for leaving behind white powder. When briefly examining it, its white powder is more noticeable than its density. It powders because of its hardness of 3. It isn’t wise to identify barite solely based on hardness because there are several white minerals that are soft and leave white powder behind. After assessing barite’s other characteristics, density can be used to distinguish barite from other similar minerals, such as bauxite. Therefore, both barite’s hardness and density are signature features used to identify it.

Don’t Confuse It With: Barite can get mixed up with calcite or marble because it can contain contamination of calcite and effervesce (2). In order to identify it, one must find its gravity by using the hefty test: holding two similarly-sized, nonmetallic minerals in one’s hand and comparing their weights (2). Given that Barite is known for its density, barite will be the heavier mineral or rock (1, 2). Barite’s Desert Rose pattern resembles gypsum’s, but gypsum is more fragile and has a lighter density (3). Another mineral called celestite forms a Desert Rose pattern as well (4). To identify whether a Desert Rose is barite or celestite, one must use the flame test by setting the Desert Rose’s powder on fire (2, 4). A pale green flame means the Desert Rose is barite whereas a red flame means it’s celestite (2, 4).