Barite aka Baryte
Barite is well known for its wide range of colors and beautiful crystal formations. It is a mineral specimen that collectors and rockhounds seek to have in their collections. Barite is easy to identify by its weight, it is a heavy mineral, much heavier than similar minerals. Its name was derived from the Greek word "barus" which means "heavy". Barite may replace other minerals, wood, shells, and fossils. It sometimes forms tufa-like mound shaped coatings or specimens from precipitation of hot, barium-rich geothermal springs.
Controversial arguments still exists in regards to the spelling of Barite. For the last 100 years or so, this mineral has always been spelled "Barite" in the United States. The Mineralogical Society of America spells it as "barite" as well as popular magazines like "Rock & Gem Magazine" and popular books like "The Complete Guide to Rocks & Minerals".
Controversy began in 1978 with new policy decisions from the IMA. From 1959-1978 the IMA (International Mineralogical Association) spelled it as "barite" and then changed the spelling to "baryte" in 1978. This decision was met with considerable controversy and left many questioning the IMA's logic behind the change.
In the United Kingdom, the spelling has traditionally been "Baryte". Most U.S. mineral collectors, rockhounds, geologists and mineralogists still prefer the spelling as "Barite", We at SpiritRock Shop will continue to use the traditional United States spelling here on our site as well. We hope our friends who use the United Kingdom spelling still find our pages and website when searching for Baryte...we will put it in our key words list.
For more information from Wikipedia....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barite
Item# BAR03148866
Smoky Barite Wafers on Matrix from Peru
$95.00
This piece is from our personal collection and was procured from the famous St. Marie-aux-mines in 2005. Specimens from this mine are usually labeled Cerro Warihuyn, Miraflores, Huamalias, Huanuco Department, Peru (for the hill of the locality). Large Barite crystal wafers are scattered across this specimen. The piece is in very good condition. The main crystals are intact but a few are damaged around the edges of the piece from extraction (that does not detract from the overall aesthetics). Smoky colored Barite Wafers are perched upon the “miniature desert rose” matrix of this showy piece. The overall dimensions are 2.6 x 1.6 x 1.3 (6.7 x 4 x 3.4cm). The thickest blade is 2.6 mm thick. These all natural, terminated tabular crystal clusters are nearly perfect, with natural glassy crystal faces and natural smoky color.
The larger two wafers measure 1.1 x 0.45” (29.5 x 11.5mm) and 0.76 x 0.71” (19.5 x 18.2mm)
Item# BFG02130405
Old Stock Barite on Fluorite with Galena from Cave-in-Rock
$265.00
This specimen weighs 67.3 oz or 4.2 lb (1908g) and measures 6.5 x 5.1 x 2.7" (16.6 x 13.1 x 6.9cm)
This is a very interesting Old Stock Specimen of White to Wheat colored Barite on a yellow with purple phantom Fluorite that has a few Galena specimens visible.
This super specimen comes with a historic specimen card from someone with the initials BEC and was cataloged in January of 1964 as specimen R569. The specimen has the 569 tag on the back.
Specimens from Cave-in-Rock located in Hardin County, Illinois have been highly sought after specimens since the location was closed many years ago.
This is a large cabinet display specimen
This piece is mildly fluorescent under LW UV light and glows a bluish purple with a high output lamp
The mines were still open in 1964. The mines shutdown and were closed around 1968
Item # BARS02142352
Smoky Barite Specimen from the Linwood Mine
From our personal collection comes this very rare specimen that has many beautiful smoky Barite crystals on this plate of Barite..an excellent specimen from the Linwood Mine in Buffalo, Scott County, Iowa. Some crystal tips were chipped around the outer edge during extraction which is normal for crystal plates.
Weighs 8.2oz or 0.51 lb (233g) and measures 3.9 x 2.5 x 1.3 inches (9.9 x 6.5 x 3.4cm)
Item # BAR09163253
Golden Barite on Septarian Nodule from Elk Creek, SD
Golden Barite on Yellow Calcite from Elk Creek, South Dakota USA Terminated Barite crystal with light frosting common for the location. A nice piece for which this location is famous, and it shows well. This locality was featured in the 2008 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show as one of the 50 best mineral specimen localities in North America and the location was also featured in the American Mineral Treasures Book. Very hard to get these as few concretions contain the crystals and all locations are on private ranchland where little collecting has been allowed or done recently. This is one of the early barite specimens from this locale.
It weighs 4.5oz or 0.28 lb (128g) and measures 2.5 x 2.2 x 1.9 inches (6.4 x 5.6 x 4.9cm) the crystal measures 0.78 x 0.5 x 0.39 inches (20 x 12 x 10mm)
Item # BAR05105581
Barite, Quartz and Black Tourmaline from Peru
$30.00
This is an Old Stock Barite Specimen from Cerro Huarihuyn in the Miraflores District, Huamalíes Province, Huánuco Department, Peru. We procured it in 1996 from Wally Marks at Highway 50&95 Rock Shop in Fallon, Nevada. It has a large Barite cockscomb blade with grey inclusions, white, grey and clear smaller crystals with a touch of black tourmaline and some orange secondary overgrowth. This is one of the early barite specimens from this locale.
It weighs 1.5oz (43g) and measures 2.4 x 1.4 x 1 inches (62 x 36 x 25mm)
Item # BAR10159990
Salmon Pink Barite Blades with Clear Cerrusite from Morocco
This is an attractive Specimen from the ACF mine in Meknès-Tafilalet, Khénifra, Mibladen, Morocco. It has Pink-salmon blades, 18mm, with clear small Cerussite crystals up to 4.3mm. specimen is set in mineral tack on a 32mm polished acrylic square
It weighs 2.56oz (73g) and measures 1.9 x 1.1 x 1 inches (49 x 28 x 25mm)
Item # 2BARB12200561
Barite Blades from Arizona
$49.00
These unique Barite Blades were picked up during one of our road trips in the 1980's from a roadside rock shop near Kingman, Arizona.
Specimen weighs 12.9oz 0.8 lbs (366g) and measures 3 x 2.7 x 1.6" (7.8 x 6.8 x 4.2 cm)