Barite, or Baryte in some parts of the world, is a highly collectable mineral due to its wide variety of colors and crystal habits. Colors include yellow, blue, white, gray, red, orange, brown and colorless to name a few. Barite is known as an unusually heavy non-metallic mineral – its name is derived from the Greek word barys which, of course, means “heavy.” It often occurs in association with Fluorite, Calcite, Quartz, Aphalerite, Pyrite and Galena to name a few.

The crystal system for this popular mineral is Orthorhombic, often tabular and prismatic. Other forms include bladed, massive, stalactitic and as rosettes – brown aggregates (due to sand inclusions) that  remarkably resemble a flower, thus named a “desert rose.”

Barite is a very common mineral found throughout the world. Notable locations include China, England, France, Morocco and USA (Arizona, South Dakota, Tennessee, Nevada and Colorado).