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Formula: Ba(SO4)
Sulphate of barium
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 4.50 measured, 4.50 calculated
Hardness: 3 to 3½
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless, white, yellowish, reddish, blue
Solubility: Insoluble in water, hydrochloric and nitric acid; soluble in sulphuric acid if heated
Environments:
Carbonatites
Sedimentary environments
Metamorphic environments
Hydrothermal environments
Basaltic cavities
Baryte is a common and widely distributed mineral. It is a typical mineral in
epithermal (low temperature) and
mesothermal hydrothermal veins in metamorphic rocks and in
limestone with
calcite and
associated with ores of silver, lead,
copper, cobalt,
manganese and antimony. It is also found as residual
masses in
clay overlying limestone.
Also as
concretions in sandstone.
and other sedimentary rocks. In places acts as a
cement in sandstone but it may
also be found as lenses or replacement deposits in sedimentary rocks, both of
primary and secondary
origin.
Baryte precipitates with decreasing temperature from oxidised fluids with moderate salinities over a temperature range
up to 300oC. At low salinities baryte becomes more soluble (retrograde solubility) above about 100oC
(AofA).
Localities
The Two Mile and Three Mile deposits, Paddy's River, Paddys River District, Australian Capital Territory, Australia,
are skarn deposits at the contact between
granodiorite and volcanic rocks.
Baryte is a primary sulphate that occurs in veinlets
in dacite, and associated with
sphalerite
(AJM 22.1.38).
At the Mount Lyell Mines, Queenstown district, West Coast municipality, Tasmania, Australia, baryte is common, and often associated with
hematite. Very well formed crystals of baryte are sometimes found in veins with
quartz, dolomite,
siderite, hematite and
chalcopyrite; these crystals are formed very late in the paragenesis. A rarer habit is small sprays
and rosettes of bladed crystals of baryte predating some of the quartz and
dolomite
(AJM 21.2.21).
At Bundoora, inner Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, baryte occurs in cavities in
basalt
associated with calcite
(AJM 20.1.30).
At the Mount Deverell variscite deposit, Milgun Station, Western Australia, baryte has
been found rarely at the centre of a vein of foggite in
variscite. The variscite deposits are hosted by
marine sedimentary rocks
(AJM 20.2.24).
At the Blue Points mine, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, baryte occurs with
quartz variety amethyst
(R&M 94.4.318).
At the Dorion Amethyst Mine, Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada, baryte occurs on
quartz variety amethyst
(R&M 94.4.338).
At the Ontario Gem Mine, Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada, baryte occurs on
quartz variety amethyst
(R&M 94.4.338).
At the Xiefang Mine, Ruijin county, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China, gemmy orange baryte crystals up to 2 cm in size
have been found resting on plates of tightly intergrown, cubic, apple-green
fluorite crystals
(Minrec 55.1.92).
Baryte from Xiefang - Image
At the Qinglong Mine, Dachang Sb ore field, Qinglong County, Qianxinan, Guizhou, China,
a 6 cm wide specimen has been found, with cream coloured baryte groups to 2 cm and dark purple poorly formed crystals of
fluorite to 5 mm
(AESS).
Baryte from the Qinglong Mine -
Image
At Xichang
a 7 cm wide specimen of transparent brown crystals of baryte up to 15 mm across has been found
(AESS).
Baryte from Xichang - Image
In the Democratic Republic of Congo malachite
pseudomorphs after baryte have been found
(R&M 95.3.275).
The Lupoto Mine, Kakumba, Kipushi Territory, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo, has recently (August 2023) yielded some
very attractive specimens of baryte on malachite. These are
thin, detached, curving crests of dark green malachite spotted and
spangled with sharp little wedge-terminated crystals of colourless, transparent baryte; some of the
baryte bladelets are tinted pale green by infused malachite
while others show pale orange zoned inclusions of iron oxides. The crisp baryte crystals which rise at
medium angles from the malachite crests measure just 1 to 2 cm
(Minrec 55.1.113).
At the Nakhlak Mine, Anarak District, Nain County, Isfahan Province, Iran, epigenetic (formed later than the
surrounding or underlying rock formation) vein deposits and metasomatic replacement bodies are hosted by a chalky
Upper Cretaceous (100.5 to 66 million years ago) limestone. The
limestone underwent
dolomitisation prior to sulphide mineralisation. The principal
primary ore mineral is
galena, associated with minor or trace amounts of
sphalerite, tetrahedrite
-tennantite, pyrite and
chalcopyrite as inclusions. The main
secondary ore mineral is
cerussite, sometimes associated with minor amounts of
anglesite, plattnerite,
wulfenite, minium,
mimetite, covellite,
chalcanthite, malachite and
goethite. Many trace elements are present in the
primary galena, but
most notably it is rich in silver and
antimony and poor in bismuth.
Baryte is the main gangue mineral, occurring in veins, veinlets and
breccia fillings
(Minrec 54.3.383-408).
At Mount Kahoven, Semnan Province, Iran, snow white crystals of baryte are found on
quartz coloured deep red by
hematite. The lack of hematite staining
the baryte shows that it, the baryte, was formed later than the quartz
(R&M 92.6.542).
At Lettermuckoo Quarry, Kinvarra, Connemara, Galway County, Connacht, Ireland, the minerals are hosted by a
megacrystic pink to grey monzogranite, with occasional
pegmatitic segregations.
Platy white baryte is one of the principal minerals in the vein assemblage. It commonly overgrows
fluorite, a paragenetic sequence which is typical of other similar
localities. The crystals occur as delicate lath-like aggregates and thin tabular plates up to about 20 mm across
(JRS 22.38,39).
At Tsumeb, Namibia, baryte has been found with smithsonite
(R&M 93.6.540).
At the Randfontein Estates Mine, West Rand District, Gauteng, South Africa, pale yellow baryte has been found
associated
with sphalerite crystals. Minerals commonly associated with baryte
are
galena, quartz,
pyrite, pyrrhotite and
sphalerite
(R&M 96.4.320).
At the Kusasalethu Mine, Carletonville, Western Sector, Far West Rand, West Rand District Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa,
giant crystals of baryte have been found, up to 83 cm long and weighing 76.5 kilograms. They were found in a cavity
together with galena, sphalerite and
quartz
(R&M 96.4.319-320).
At the Kopanang Mine, Klerksdorp, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, North West, South Africa, pale yellow to
amber coloured baryte occurs sometimes with inclusions of pyrite
(R&M 96.4.320).
At the Black Rock Mine, Black Rock, Kalahari manganese field, Northern Cape, South Africa,
sturmanite
pseudomorphs after baryte have been found
(KL p194).
At the Mariquita Mine (Sultana Mine), Usagre, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain, baryte formed abundantly in the
last stages of primary mineralisation. It is seen as cleavable
masses and occasionally as large, rough crystals, most of which show inclusions of
cinnabar and pyrite. Rarely,
fractures in baryte are filled with native mercury or covered by
excellent calomel crystals. A second generation of baryte, as small,
colourless and transparent tabular crystals, associated with chalcocite
and secondary mercury
minerals, is seen in small cavities in cinnabar. Baryte has also
been found as small white crystals reduced by corrosion or redissolution to leafy shapes
(MinRec 55.4.490).
At Force Crag Mine, Coledale, Above Derwent, Allerdale, Cumbria, England, UK, bright white baryte occurs
(AESS).
Baryte from Force Crag Mine - Image
At the Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria, England, UK, a specimen has been found of greenish white
thick blades
of baryte to 4 cm across, with some terminations within the voids, dotted over with isolated and groups
of lustrous toffee brown crystals of campylite to 5 mm in size
(AESS).
Baryte from Dry Gill Mine - Image
At the Dalmellington Mine, Frizington, Arlecdon & Frizington, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK, baryte occurs on
hematite and dolomite
(SY p132).
Baryte from the Dalmellingite Mine - Image
At the Goose Green Mine, Frizington, Arlecdon & Frizington, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK, a specimen has been found
with lumps of white baryte on a druse of tan dolomite crystals on a
brownish matrix. The underside is smooth and rounded, as though it might have been a cap on
hematite variety kidney ore. There is also a small patch of darker,
unidentified crystals
(AESS).
Baryte from Goose Green - Image
At the Lonsdale Mine, Frizington, Arlecdon & Frizington, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK, baryte has been found
(AESS)
Baryte from the Lonsdale Mine - Image
At the Mowbray Mine, Frizington, Arlecdon & Frizington, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK, large blue crystals of
baryte occur on
dolomite
(SY p127-130).
Baryte from the Mowbray Mine - Image
At the Parkside Mine, Frizington, Arlecdon & Frizington, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK, baryte occurs on
dolomite
(SY p132).
Baryte from the Parkside Mine - Image
At the Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, Egremont, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK, baryte occurs reddened by
hematite
(SY p129).
At Gutterby Pit, Cleator Moor, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK, baryte has been found
(AESS).
Baryte from the Gutterby Pit - Image
At Haile Moor Mine, Haile, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK, baryte has been found
(AESS).
Baryte from Haile Moor Mine - Image
At the Nentsberry Haggs Mine, Alston Moor, Eden, Cumbria, England, UK, baryte has been found as
pseudomorphs of alstonite
on a druse of sphalerite
(AESS).
Baryte from the Nentsberry Haggs Mine -
Image
At the Hartside Mines, Kirkoswald, Eden, Cumbria, England, UK, transparent, colourless crystals of baryte
occur in parallel growth
(AESS).
Baryte from Hartside - Image
At the Silverband Mine, Dun Fell, Milburn, Eden, Cumbria, England, UK, transparent, colourless crystals of baryte
occur in parallel growth
(AESS).
Baryte from the Silverband Mine - Image
At the Hilton Mine, Scordale, Murton, Eden, Cumbria, England, UK, baryte has been found as a a detached spray
of flat tabular colourless and translucent baryte crystals with clear terminations
AESS).
Baryte from the Hilton Mine - Image
The Sunnyside Deposit, Whitwell, Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England, UK, is hosted by late Permian (256 to 248
million years ago) dolostone that lies above a thick sequence of
Carboniferous (354 to 290 million years ago) Coal Measures sediments.
Baryte occurs as banded veins, vein breccias, nodules,
replacements of dolostone and crystals in cavities. Massive,
crystalline, pink and purple varieties of baryte are the principal components of the veins, and extensive
metasomatic wall-rock alteration of oolitic limestone to
baryte - dolomite rock has occurred.
Purple is an unusual colour for baryte, and in the Permian (290 to 248 million years ago) rocks of northeast
England baryte is typically white to pink and may occasionally be pale blue, but purple bands are conspicuous
in many Sunnyside specimens. Vein baryte is not noticeably fluorescent in long wave UV, but subtle growth
banding is visible in cut and polished sections illuminated by short wave UV
(JRS 24.37-59).
At the limestone quarry, Crich hill, Derbyshire, England, UK,
baryte
occurs with
fluorite
(RES p99).
At Dirtlow Rake, Castleton, Derbyshire, England, UK, baryte occurs in a calcite
matrix
(RES p122).
At Croft quarry, Leicestershire, England, UK, baryte occurs as crystals to 5 mm forming aggregates to 8 mm across on
analcime, sometimes with a coating of
hematite.
The baryte is later in the paragenetic sequence than both of the two generations of
analcime found here
that occur here
(JRS 20.9).
At Earl Ferrers mine, Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, England, UK, baryte occurs with
galena
and sphalerite
(RES p217).
At Hicks Lodge open cast coal mine, Moira, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England, UK, baryte has been found in
a septarian nodule
with chalcopyrite and calcite
(RES p227).
At Snailbeach mine, Shropshire, England, UK, baryte is associated with witherite, and also
replaces it
(RES p272, 271).
At the Burgam mine, Shelve, Shropshire, England, UK, baryte has been found associated with
pyromorphite
(RES p283).
At the Wotherton mine, Chirbury, Shropshire, England, UK, baryte is associated with
calcite
and chalcopyrite
(RES p286).
At the Ecton mine, Staffordshire, England, UK, baryte has been found associated with
chalcopyrite, pyrite and
pyrolusite
(RES p302).
At Dudley Port, Tipton, Staffordshire, England, UK, baryte has been found on
dolomite
(RES p330).
At Laverock Braes, Middleton Park, Aberdeen City, Scotland, UK, baryte occurs as discontinuous layers which lie
approximately parallel to the edges of manganite veins. It occurs commonly
as white blocky to bladed crystals in cavities. Although it is less abundant than
goethite and manganite,
baryte is common and widespread and occurs at all stages in the
primary paragenesis. It infills cavities in
goethite where it may take on a red colour, which is almost certainly due
to finely divided hematite
(JRS 22.18-19).
At Roar Hill, Ballater, Buchan Grampian, Scotland, UK, lead-bearing vein
mineralisation was exposed during recent work carried out on an unmetalled vehicle track. A small temporary quarry
exposed fluorite-bearing quartz
veins and minor wulfenite in light-coloured granite. At a
second site,
a little further to the west, an oxidised galena-bearing
quartz vein was exposed.
Baryte was found as blocky white crystals and cleavages in vein quartz
at the exposure on the estate track
(JRS 22.32).
At the Magma mine, Pioneer District, Pinal county, Arizona, USA, baryte occurs in a contact between
quartzite and
limestone,
where the mineralisation has replaced the limestone with the
hematite - chalcopyrite -
bornite - chalcocite -
pyrite assemblage that comprises all the replacement orebodies here. Common
asssociates include gypsum,
chalcocite,
sphalerite and galena, and many of
the baryte crystals have inclusions of pyrite or
hematite
(R&M 95.1.79-80).
Near Fruita, Mesa county, Colorado, USA, pseudomorphs of chalcedony
variety
agate after baryte have been found
(KL p261).
The Cartersville Mining District, Bartow county, Georgia, USA, used to be a major source of baryte for use as
a whitener in
paint, a filler in rubber and plastic and a source of barium chemicals. Most
of the mines are
no longer in use, and they are all closed to collecting. The baryte occured in
dolostone and in the underlying
quartzite,
emplaced by hydrothermal void filling and carbonate replacement of the
dolomitic
limestone. Well formed baryte microcrystals have been found
with drusy
quartz in vugs in massive baryte and in
breccia
(R&M 96.3.270-276).
At the Phoenix Mine, Phoenix, Keweenaw county, Michigan, USA, mineralisation occurs primarily in hydrothermal veins cutting
pre-existing Portage Lake basalts as well as in amygdules in the Ashbed
basalt flow, and the vast majority of collectible minerals occur in the
hydrothermal veins.
The best crystallised baryte specimens known from any Keweenaw County fissure vein were found at the Phoenix mine,
although they are not common. Aggregates of fan-like, white to cream-colored, translucent to opaque baryte crystals
occur on drusy quartz and basalt matrix.
Native copper inclusions sometimes impart a pleasing reddish colour to these
specimens, and some baryte crystals are associated with delicate dendritic
copper crystals
(MinRec 54.1.130).
At Cookes Peak mining district, Luna county, New Mexico, USA, baryte is sometimes found in association with
fluorite and quartz
(R&M 94.3.225-226).
The Purple Diopside Mound, Rose Road, Pitcairn, St. Lawrence county, New York, USA, is situated in
marble. The development of veins of large crystals probably occurred as
a result of fluid penetration from a concurrent intrusion. Many of the minerals of interest to collectors formed during
this primary event, with additional species resulting from the
subsequent alteration of scapolite. There seems to be little, if any,
secondary, late-stage mineralisation present.
Baryte occurs as tabular, colourless to white crystals to 1 cm associated with purple
diopside, blue fluorapatite and
black titanite, in calcite on the
hill above the Purple Diopside Mound
(R&M 96.6.548).
Alteration
calcite, Ba2+, H2S and O2 to baryte,
Ca2+, CO2 and H2O
CaCO3 + Ba2+ + H2S + 2O2 = BaSO4 + Ca2+ +
CO2 and H2O
Baryte may be precipitated by the action of ore fluid and groundwater on calcite
(DHZ 5B p16).
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