Baryte

Baryte or barite is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate. It is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of barium. The group consists of baryte, celestine (strontium sulfate), anglesite (lead sulfate) and anhydrite (calcium sulfate). Baryte and celestine form a solid solution.

It occurs in a large number of depositional environments, and deposited through a large number of processes including biogenic, hydrothermal, and evaporation, among others. This mineral commonly occurs in lead-zinc veins in limestones, in hot spring deposits, and with hematite ore. It often associated with the minerals anglesite and celestine. It has also identified in meteorites.

The name derived from the Ancient Greek: barús, ‘heavy’. The American spelling is barite.