Name/Title
BariteEntry/Object ID
2004.1.147Description
Chemical Composition: BaSO4,
Crystal System: Hexagonal System
Description: Common Name: Barite
Group Name: Barite
Chemistry: BaSO4,
Location: Romania
Description:
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is variable but is commonly found colorless or white, also blue, green, yellow and red shades.
Luster is vitreous.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
Crystal Habits include the bladed crystals that are dominated by two large pinacoid faces top and bottom and small prism faces forming a jutting angle on every side. There are many variations of these faces but the flattened blades and tabular crystals are the most common. If the pinacoid faces become diminished or are absent, the resulting prismatic crystal has a rhombic cross section. Also scaly, lamellar, and even fiberous.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction, less so in another direction.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Hardness is 3 - 3.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 4.5 (heavy for translucent minerals)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are numerous but significant associations have been with chalcopyrite, calcite, aragonite, sulfur, pyrite, quartz, vanadinite, cerussite and fluorite among many others.
Other Characteristics: green color in flame test (see above).
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, flame test and density.
Fracture: Conchoidal
Hardness: 3 Calcite
Luster: Vitreous
Occurrence: Occurs as gangue mineral in hydrothermal veins, in druses, as concretions in sandstones and other sedimentary rocks.
Notable Occurances include Oklahoma, Connecticut and Colorado, USA; England and Germany
Specific Gravity: 6.6
Streak: yellowish white
Variety: Barite is a common mineral and makes very attractive specimens. It often is an accessory mineral to other minerals and can make a nice backdrop to brightly colored crystals. At times bladed or tabular crystals of Barite form a concentric pattern of increasingly larger crystals outward. This has the appearance of a flower and when colored red by iron stains, these formations are called "Desert Roses". Because Barite is so common, it can be confused for other minerals. Celestite (SrSO4) has the same structure as barite and forms very similar crystals. The two are indistinguishable by ordinary methods, but a flame test can distinguish them. By scrapping the dust of the crystals into a gas flame the color of the flame will confirm the identity of the crystal. If the flame is a pale green it is barite, but if the flame is red it is celestite. The flame test works because the elements barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) react in the flame and produce those colors.Collection
Suomynona Mineral CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2004.1Source or Donor
Suomynona Mineral CollectionAcquisition Method
DonationDimensions
Width
3 inDepth
6 inLength
10 inDimension Notes
Dimension taken at widest pointsLocation
Location
Room
Neil JohnsonBuilding
Attic StorageCategory
PermanentMoved By
Lehman R.Date
August 28, 2009Location
Container
CenterDrawer
BottomShelf
Left, LeftWall
NorthBuilding
Founders RoomCategory
PermanentMoved By
Lehman R.Date
August 28, 2009Location
Container
CenterDrawer
BottomShelf
Left, LeftWall
NorthBuilding
Founders RoomCategory
PermanentMoved By
Lehman R.Date
August 28, 2009Location
Shelf
BottomCabinet
Case # 7Room
Mentzer HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
Permanent
