Characteristics of Baryte:

Chemical Name: Barium sulfate 

Formula: BaSO4

Colors: Colorless, golden, bluish, greenish, beige

Structure: Orthorhombic

Hardness: 3-3.5

Specific Gravity: 4.5

Refractive Index: 1.63-1.65

Lustre: Vitreous, resinous, pearly

Streak: White

Locations: England, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, USA

What is Baryte？

The name “Baryte” originates from the Greek barys, meaning “heavy”, a reference to the mineral’s high specific gravity. It is soft and breaks readily in a number of directions – it is faceted with difficulty, purely as a collector’s gem. Golden Baryte from Colorado USA is the most prized gemstone color, blue Baryte is also faceted for collectors. Baryte is found in the form of stalactites, too, and round, banded sections of these are sometimes polished and mounted in silver frames as pendants. It is the most important single source of barium.