Name/Title
BariteEntry/Object ID
2004.1.12Description
Assemblage Zone: pegmatitic dikes
Chemical Composition: BaSO4
Crystal System: Orthorhombic System
Description: Common Name: Barite
Chemistry: BaSO4, Barium Sulfate
Class: Sulfates
Group: Barite
Uses: ore of barium
Location: Found in Meiku Mine, Bootstrap District, Elko County, Nevada, USA.
Description: This specimen has beautiful clear golden bronzy large crystals on its matrix
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BARITE
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: 6 Orthoclase
Luster: Vitreous
Occurrence: Barite is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate. It most often occurs in hydrothermal veins and as veins in limestones. It is a relatively inert mineral with a high density. It is the primary ore of barium. The most common use of barite is as a weighting agent in drilling muds.
Rock Color: Light
Rock Type: Igneous
Specific Gravity: 4.5
Streak: White
Texture: Crystalline
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
5-1/2 inDepth
3 inLength
8-1/2 inWeight
6.41 ozDimension Notes
Dimension taken at widest pointsLocation
Location
Wall
NorthBuilding
Storage (old gift shop upstairs)Category
PermanentMoved By
Rawley WyattDate
May 20, 2014Location
Drawer
BottomShelf
Center, CenterWall
EastHallway
Discovery HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
PermanentMoved By
Steve MillerDate
October 23, 2012Location
Container
left (SE corner)Drawer
top tierShelf
east side, east sideWall
centerHallway
Discovery HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
PermanentMoved By
Wendy MondryDate
December 26, 2008Location
Shelf
BottomCabinet
Case # 7Room
Mentzer HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
Permanent