Golden Barite Crystal Cluster - China
Barite, also known as baryte, is a mineral composed of barium sulphate. Known for its characteristic tabular crystal formations, it's commonly white or colourless, but can also occur in shades of yellow, honey, blue, and brown depending on impurities and the conditions under which the crystals formed.
The warm honey colour is caused by fine iron oxide staining within or on the surface of the crystals.
The name barite comes from the Greek word barys, meaning “heavy”. Despite having a hardness of just 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale, it has an unusually high density, making it surprisingly heavy for its size. This is due to the presence of barium, a very heavy chemical element.
Barium is significantly heavier than the elements that make up common minerals such as quartz and calcite.
Barite commonly forms in hydrothermal veins and sedimentary environments, often alongside minerals such as calcite, fluorite, and pyrite.
This piece, from China, features well-defined crystals with a natural golden colour and a bright vitreous lustre.
