Mindat Mineralogy Messageboard - Best Minerals - Barite

Baryte, Belgium (1 reply)

Harjo Neutkens — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:40:57 +0000


Baryte with Calcite from Villers-en-Fagne, 6,8cm	© Paul De Bondt

Baryte is quite a common mineral in Belgium. It appears in the deposits of the Moresnet region, in the Devonian and Dinantian limestone, in the Givetian schists and in the coal mining areas.
Some localities have produced excellent display specimens although nowadays finding a display specimen is becoming exceedingly difficult, most of the Baryte encountered in the active quarries is of micro size. On some mine dumps however nice display specimens can still be found but it requires a considerable amount of effort.....

Baryte
Belgium
Hainaut (Henegouwen; Hennegau) Province, Charleroi, Fleurus, Baryte quarry


Baryte 10cm	© Richard De Nul


Baryte FOV 0,4cm	© Maurice de Graaf

The Baryte quarry near Fleurus produced nice cockscomb Baryte and cleavable masses for many years until its closure in the 1990s.
Baryte was encountered in sometimes huge 15 to 90 meters large lenses in tertiary sand layers. Fleurus baryte was mainly used in the oil explorations in the North Sea.
[Eric Vercammen]

Baryte
Belgium
Liège Province, Chaudfontaine, Trooz, Carrière de Trooz


Baryte FOV 1cm	© L.Bernard


Baryte FOV 1cm	©

Limestone quarry in Trooz, near the town of Chaudfontaine, a well known spa famous in the Benelux for its mineral water.
Occasionally very nice elongated yellow Baryte crystals can be found in Calcite lined vugs.
The quarry is operated by the Holcim group.

Baryte
Belgium
Luxembourg Province, Wellin, Fond des Vaulx quarry


Baryte, Calcite FOV 5cm	© Harjo


Baryte FOV 0,8cm	© Harjo

Fond des vaulx quarry is an active quarry operating in Devonian limestone. Baryte is encountered in fossil vugs as colourless, yellow or orange tabular crystals up to 2 cm or as cockscomb aggregates.

Locality photo

Baryte
Belgium
Namur Province, Couvin


Baryte FOV 0,6cm	© Harjo


Baryte FOV 0,8cm	© Harjo

Couvin quarry is an active quarry operating in Devonian limestone. In the quarry Baryte is quite prolific and is encountered in a wide variety of forms, sometimes very rich in faces. The crystals range from micro size to about 2 cm and are mainly colourless although nice yellow crystals can be found too. Some Baryte crystals have inclusions of elongated Marcasite crystals.

Baryte
Belgium
Namur Province, Philippeville, Doische


Baryte 3cm	© Harjo

The mine near Doische (actually in the Gimnee municipality) was mined for Fluorite and lies on the South border of Dinant synclinorium in Mesodevonian (Givetian-Frasnian) carbonate series. The Baryte was obviously thrown out judging the large amounts of Baryte on the dumps. Very nice cabinet specimens can occasionally be found although most of the specimens are damaged. Clear crystals like the one on the photo above are very rare. The crystals can exceed 10 cm in size. The dominant habit is the so called "coffin" habit. Colour ranges from yellow to brown and often elongated Marcasite crystals are included.

Locality photo

Baryte
Belgium
Namur Province, Rochefort, Ave-et-Auffe, Limites quarry


Baryte FOV 4,5cm	© Harjo


Baryte FOV 0,6cm	© Harjo


Baryte FOV 0,8cm	© 0


Baryte FOV 0,8cm	© Harjo

Les Limites quarry is an active quarry operating in Devonian limestone. Baryte is quite common in the quarry. Usually Baryte is found as small white or orange cockscomb aggregates in Calcite lined vugs but occasionally larges crystals can be found. The larger crystals often show a tabular habit and can have a wide variety of colours, colourless, yellow, orange and green. In 2007 I was able to find a Calcite plate hosting 4 cm long yellow Baryte crystals that were partially covered with nice prismatic colourless second generation Baryte crystals.
Collecting in the quarry is now strictly forbidden.

Baryte
Belgium
Namur Province, Rochefort, Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, E411 road cut


Baryte 2cm	© JDehove


Baryte FOV 1,2cm	© JDehove

During the construction of the E411 motorway many fine specimens were find. Baryte was found as cockscom aggregates on Calcite but also as very nice orange tabular crystals that exceeded 2 cm.

Baryte
Belgium
Namur Province, Phillipeville, Villers-en-Fangne


Baryte, Calcite 6,8cm	© Paul De Bondt


Baryte 16cm	© Dehove

In the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries a lot of mining activity took place around the small town of Villers-en-Fagne, mainly for Baryte and Fluorite.
In the mine of Villers-en-Fagne Baryte was encountered as spectacular specimens according to Buttgenbach (1918) and Cesaro (1897). They described Baryte in the form of white cockscomb aggregates, blueish crystals of up to 6 x 2 cm large and as pseudomorphs after Calcite scalenoedrons.

Can anyone help us with photographs and/or information of Baryte specimens from the following localities: Moresnet/Bleiberg, Vierves, Sautour and Lambermont?

[Harjo Neutkens 2009]

Baryte, Thailand (no replies)

Rock Currier — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:46:15 +0000

Baryte, Namibia (2 replies)

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Baryte, Kazakhstan (no replies)

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Baryte - Fast Navigation to the country of your choice (no replies)

Rock Currier — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:29:29 +0000

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Baryte, United States - Michigan to Wyoming
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Baryte, United States - Michigan to Wyoming (1 reply)

Rock Currier — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:09:19 +0000

I tried to put all of what I wrote about Baryte in the US thread, but there was not enough room, so I put the balance of it here. Authors should feel free to use any part of it to help them write articles about various US Baryte localities.

Barite
BaSO₄ Orthorhombic


Barite, South Dakota	© 1

Michigan, Keweenaw Peninsula. Barite occurs in small amounts throughout the district. Fine crystals, although rare, have been produced from the Phoenix mine, Humboldt mine, Copper Falls mine and other localities in Keweenaw County, the Centennial #1 and #2 mines, mines on the Isle Royale lode and elsewhere in Houghton County, and in several localities in Ontonagon County. The habit is platy, and the color is gray, greenish gray and creamy white to colorless. Associated minerals include calcite, quartz, hematite, prehnite and copper. In the White Pine in Ontonagon County, barite crystals occur in sizes from microscopic to in excess of 7 cm. Barite roses have been found in fluorite in calcite veins cutting the Copper Harbor Conglomerate in Keweenaw County.”1 The fine crystals referred to above are really not very find when compared to barites from so many other localities and at best they can be best described as interesting.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 23, 1992, p 53.

Missouri, Morgan County, Lamb Barite Mine and the Buckshot Mine. “During our ’91 visit, we had the good fortune to discover a fair sized pocket, containing the finest clear “glass tiff” barite crystals ( up to thumb size on white to cream-colored “dry-bone” barite matrix we had ever observed from the Lamb, and most likely the best Missouri in several decades. We returned to the lamb (several more times)…Furi9ng our April ’94 visit, Glenn had exposed the upper end of a vertical barite-filled fracture…In October we were able to find what appeared to be a continuation of the vein about 6-8 feet to the right, thus it was decided to continue downward along the mineralized zone. Over the next three days, with some minor excavation (pick and shovel) we continued downward along what proved to be another significant find of high quality barite “glass tiff” on drybone matrix. The specimens acquired did not have the large crystal size of our ’91 from an overall quality aspect, the ’94 material must be considered superior. Once we proceeded below the front line, nearly every specimen was damage free, except for that which we imposed with the necessary semi-controlled violence required with the large pick to remove the surrounding chert and dolomite. The ’94 specimens consist primarily of clusters of barite crystals ranging from microdruse up to 1+ inches lying with their long axis relatively parallel to the surface of the drybone matrix, with many doubly terminated. A minority portion of the crystals will have their long axis at various angles, approaching perpendicular to the matrix or the other crystals. This mixture creates some superb display specimens. Occasionally, small rosettes of clear crystals are found growing directly on the chert with no underling drybone matrix. When this occurs, these rosettes are extremely clean, bright, and lustrous, sparkling like the finest gemstones. The Lamb cannot compete with its neighbor, the Buckshot for crystal size, however, for clarity and quality, the lamb specimens are equal to any other Missouri locality of which I’m aware. Some of the individual crystals will match those found in the book Cliffs region of Colorado for quality. For those who might be interested in adding a new barite locality to their collection, we plan to have a limited quantity of the ’94 material available at Tucson in February, Executive Inn, room 246 (Kevin Conroy Minerals).”1
1 Mineral News, Harold L. Prior, Vol. 11, 1995, p. 2-3

Montana, Carbon County, Warren, Pack Rat claim. “Amber translucent blades, zoned, to <2 cm on edge, packed in a group 5x6 cm. Also occurs coated with white calcite. Common.”1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of a specimen in his collection.
See if you can find out more about the occurrence.

Montana, Dawson County, Glendive. “Usually gold/amber tabular crystals to more than 6 cm, resembling SD crystals.”1
Described by Bill Dameron but doesn’t have an example in his collection. Ask him what he knows about this locality.

Montana, Silver Bow County, Butte. “Blocky nearly square crystals to 1.5 cm covering a 9 cm matrix. Dark yellow-ochre color, translucent but dull. Dull is the key. Common.”1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003 of a specimen in his collection.
See if there is a mine name?

Nevada, Carlin Trend, Elco County, Elco, Dee North Mine. The crystals from the Dee North mine are golden in color like those from the Meikle mine but usually not as transparent or as desirable. Crystals can be up to about 8 cm but are usually smaller. “The Dee North mine will certainly be remembered among collectors for its production of well-crystalized barite, in excellent specimens from thumbnail size up to large cabinet plated more than 60 cm across. …Two significant vugs have produced the majority of specimens, these having crystals of a distinctly chisel-shape habit. Many additional vugs occur, some of which reach enormous sizes, but which have not yielded specimens as prolifically…About 30 meters further down the decline…Here, slight probing with a fingertip disclosed a soft and highly altered area with a few small pieces of glassy yellow barite. Further work and enlargement of this opening revealed a small pocket full of loose floater clusters of brilliant yellow-orange crystals to about 8 cm. The pocket then widened into an open hole lined with large plates and knobs of spectacular, clean, undamaged crystals. The floor was covered by loose specimens from thumbnails up to one large plate 35 cm across, all of which were removed before extraction of the wall and ceiling specimens. Some of the individual crystals stand up from the matrix and are perfectly transparent, yellow and razor sharp. The largest examples reach almost 7 cm in length and are predominately euhedral, doubly terminated Singles. These occurred either nestled among drusy prismatic crystals, or as discrete “lozenge-shaped” tablets lying squarely on tip of crystal-covered plates. A large number of very fine specimens were collected from this pocket, some of which are the finest examples of barite from the deposit.”1 See David Cook’s et al excellent article in the sited reference for a more complete description of the specimens from this locality and pictures of some of the specimens.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 33, 2002, p 225-234.

Nevada, Carlin Trend, Elco County, Elco, Meikle Mine. The United States has many localities for good Barite specimens but if not for the recent discovery of some remarkable specimens at the Meikle Mine we would still be groveling before the grander of the British specimens. The crystals from the Meikle gold mine are diamond shape, tabular, shiny, golden in color and often very transparent. Faceted stones exceeding 40 carats have been cut from some of the material. Crystals up to six inches across and an inch thick have been found, but the really elegant specimens have smaller crystals. “During early development of haulage drifts and ramps, vugs were encountered essentially from the top of the orebody on down. …during subsequent work on the 328 –meter level, a huge vug (more accurately, a crystal-lined cavern) was discovered. This unsupported natural opening, although somewhat irregular in shape, has maximum dimensions of at least 49 meters in vertical extent and 27 meters (90 feet) in width. A plywood viewing platform has been erected at the entrance to the vug, and lights (always on) have been installed throughout to illuminate this amazing geological feature. The pocket has been informally named the George Bush Vug, since the former President visited it on his underground tour at the time of the official mine opening. The floor, walls, and ceiling of this “crystal cave” are entirely covered with thick, semi-smooth crusts of bladed, pale green, crystallized calcite. On some surfaces of the calcite, multitudes of sparkling tabular barite crystals averaging 1.5 cm have formed. At the end opposite the platform, the vug pinched down and plunges into a near-vertical structure ( a “natural shaft”). In this area, possibly due to increased fluid flow during formation…the barite crystals dramatically increase in size and abundance, covering most of the walls and ceiling. It is difficult to comprehend and to describe the magnitude of the crystallization in this area; on virtually every surface visible in the light of the miner’s lamp, large, deep orange-yellow, lustrous, undamaged barite crystals stand out from the matrix of pale green calcite. …The vug twists slightly and continues downward…and then drops off sharply for about 10 meters, opening once again into another large chamber. …statuesque knobs and bulbous masses of bladed calcite decorated with clusters of crystallized barite can barely be seen on the walls and floor of the room. To date, one has entered or examined this area. Somewhere a connection with drifts on the 373-meter level below has been made, as attested to by the air flow coming up throughout the vug…”1 The mine is exceedingly hot and it is impossible to collect in some of the pockets for more than a few minuets at a time without risk of heat stroke. See Martin Jensen’s fine article in the Mineralogical Record for more juicy descriptions of the barite pockets/caverns in the mine and pictures of some of the fine specimens produced. Even modest specimens from this find will cost you more than $100 and the best ones somewhere north of $5000 or $10,000.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 30, 1999, p 187-96.

Nevada, Carlin Trend, Elco County, Murray Mine. “So-called “sugar cube” (quartz coated) blocky barite xls to 2 cm in 8 cm group (occur larger); similar 7 cm group with 3 cm xls partially coated with quartz and partially not (lustrous barite faces). Common. Also very interesting flat, fairly clear thick tabular 3 cm xl with tiny stibnite xls on edges, hollow (hopper?) center of barite xl has a tiny stibnite needle in it, all perched on blocky barite xl w / tiny stibnite xls, 5.5 cm overall. Rare”1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.
Alk Casey and Jane about this occurrence.

Nevada, Carlin Trend, Elco County, Elco, SSX Mine. “Nevada is holding on to its “king of barite” reputation with yet another new locality—Anglo Gold’s SSX miner near Elco…Casey and Jane Jones of Geoprime, who are handling the material, told me that the new mine is about 24 miles from the now famous Meikle mine. The barites from this new source, occurring as tabular, diamond-shaped yellow crystals are quite similar to those of the Meikle mine.”1
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 33, 2003, p 260-1.
Ask Casey and Jane about these specimens.

Nevada, Eureka County. “Transparent yellow blades to 1.5 cm on sparkling matrix, small stibnite xls, 4 cm. Common…(small prospect not further identified).1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

Nevada, Humboldt County, Twin Creeks Mine. “Attractive milky/clear tabular blades to 3 cm, pronounced saw tooth edges, in group on orpiment xls, 7.5 cm. Fairly common (this probably best of the lot).1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

Nevada, Lander County, Battle Mountain, Lewis District, Dean Mine, Cumberland Adit. “Jim McGlasson…Littleton, Co…had some small, blue-gray crystals of barite…”.1
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 20, 1989, p 391.
Talk to Jim and find out about this stuff.

Nevada, Nye County, Northumberland Mining District, Toquima Range, Northumberland Mine. “The minerals of Northumberland are generally microscopic or submicroscopic with the notable exception of barite. …Barite is common in the eastern flank of the deposit. Crystals in excess of 12 cm have been found lining pockets in jasperoid. Pockets up to 2.5 meters in length and 2 meters wide have been found. Barite in these pockets is commonly etched. The crystals formerly lining the upper portions of the pockets are usually found in a rubble at the bottom of the pocket. The pockets appear to be larger and more common in the northeast area of the pit. The barite crystals are generally elongated along the b-axis [010] and occasionally show phantom inclusions of limonite. The most common colors are greenish brown, golden brown, gray-blue and colorless.”1 The crystals from this locality at their best can be described as quite nice. Certainly the 10 cm doubly terminated crystal perched on a small mound of barite crystals pictured in the sited article that is in the Neil Prenn collection is. However he is an ardent mineral collector and was manager of the mine (1981-1983) and that if probably the best specimen collected to date and most of the specimens from the district are of much lower quality and of less desirable color. The Northumberland mine is a barite mine and not the only place in the district that produces barite crystals.
Mineralogical Record, Vol. 16, 1985, p 39-40.

Nevada, Pershing County, Hecla Rosebud Mine. “Two blocky, porcelain-white tabular xls, 1.5 cm each, 3 cm specimen. Common. Also gray equant crystal, 3x3 cm, showing prominent etching or growth hummocks on front face. Very interesting, very rare.1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

New Jersey, Paterson. “Barite was found in a vein in the Prospect Park quarry in 1926 s opaque, colorless to white to bluish white crystals…The usual specimens are intergrown plates of large, rough crystals up to 15 cm in length. Small bluish white crystals were found in the Hinchcliffe Stadium site. A single specimen from this site contained phillipsite in association with barite… .”1 These barites are included here only on the strength that they are from localities that are heavily collected and have been for over a hundred years and are therefore of interest to some collectors.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 9, 1978, p 175.

New Mexico, Socorro County, Hansonburg Area, Blue Destiny 1. “Milky-clear tabular xl, 4.5 cm. Blah.”
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

New Mexico, Socorro County, Magdalena District, Kelly. “Barite has been found in many of the mines where the ore deposits formed at lower temperatures. Euhedral crystals are whit to pale pink or tan, up to 10 cm long, and form radial and interlocking groups with quartz and fluorite, Many fine specimens of tan barite on quartz have been found in the Juanita mine and similar ones occur in the Kelly mine.”1 This quote is from the excellent article on the Mines at Kelly, New Mexico sited below talks about “fine specimens” none were considered fine enough to picture in the article. The Mines in the district, especially the Kelly mine are much better known to collectors for the wonderful specimens of smithsonite that the locality produced. The Juanita mine in particular has abundant barite and I remember looking at a lot of it and trying to find a good specimen worth keeping and thinking that somewhere in the mine there must be some good specimens, but I was never able to find any. Most collectors and curators would look at a “fine specimen” of barite from the mine and think it perhaps interesting and that’s about it. The mines at Kelly were lead and zinc mines that were operated from about 1882 to 1970.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 20, 1989, p 19.

New Mexico, Socorro County, Bingham, Mex-Tex Mine. “Perfect thin white tabular floater, nearly transparent, 4.5 cm. Others less attractive are common.1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

New York, St. Lawrence County, De Kalb. Some well formed white prismatic barites were found at. This a old locality that you rarely see represented in collections today. I have only seen single crystals like the one pictured here which will cause no one to break out in a sweat.

Oklahoma, Cleveland County, Noble., Red Barite roses have been found here and dug for many years and are known locally as “rose rocks” because they look a little like roses. These barite crystals clusters are full of tiny sand grains and colored red by iron minerals. These are found growing floating in the red sandy soil at a number of localities. Some places produce better ones than others. The supply of these is potentially very large and limited only in the markets willingness to buy they. The crystals are sandy in texture and the crystals are mostly smaller than two inches, rounded and arranged in flower like patterns. You can get a good one for less than $50. Large intergrown clusters of these barites are sometimes available and limited in size only by the patience and the strength of the collector to lift them. We (Jewel Tunnel Imports, Baldwin Park, California) have sold thousands of them for $1 each.

Oklahoma, Garvin County, Paoli. “In sections 18 and 19 southeast of Paoli, large barite-claystone concretions cover the floors of several gullies. The barite is crystalline, assumes several pale tints, but does not form distinct crystals. These concretions range up to 25 cm in diameter. Almost pure barite balls of radiating crystal structure occur in scattered locations throughout the Paoli district. Known locally as “raisin rocks,” these barite nodules are almost concentrated where removed from clay by weathering. The nodules range from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter. A few exhibit yellow to orange fluorescence in concentric bands under short-wave ultraviolet radiation. Elsewhere barite is a cementing agent of the sandstone, and occasionally forms the well-known “rose rocks” consisting of rounded intergrown plates with much included sand, in the rough shape of a flower. The Paoli “roses” are poorly formed and paler in color than those found in Cleveland County to the north. Bedded crystalline barite occurs in several layers embedded in clay a few kilometers north of ….”1 and so on. The bottom line is that none of them are worth a damn as specimens but are just another example of how wide spread the mineral barite is in the world.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 17, 1986, p 373.

Pennsylvania, Chester County, Phoenixville, Wheatley Mine. “Barite was a common gangue mineral at the Wheatley mine, occurring as white laminated crystalline masses. It also occurs rarely as gray-white bladed crystals up to 2.5 cm and whit platy crystals.1 You will probably never see one of these or if you do you almost certainly will never remember it. However if you collect specimens from this old locality which are almost never offered for sale, you would probably want one. There is a picture of a small specimens in the excellent article by Ronald Sloto on Phoenixville in the sited reference.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 20, 1989, p 378.

Pennsylvania, Perkiomen mine Near……….in the18th century? Produced some clusters of white jackstraw like clusters of barite crystals. I have seen very few of them probably not because they were rare when they were found, but because no one particularly wanted them, and since it is a delicate mineral few of them have survived the passing of time. See the picture. These specimens are probably worth more for because of their antiquity than in any flattering comparison to specimens from other localities.

South Carolina, McCormick County, McCormick. “Two clear prisms to 1.5 cm on gossai, 2 cm. Fairly rare.”1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

South Dakota, Meade County, Elk Creek and Butte County, Hoover. The best barites from this locality are considered some of the finest in the world. “Crystals are commonly 2 to 8 cm in length, 1 to 2 cm in width, and tapered toward their terminations. The largest crystal reported from Elk Creek measures 30.5 cm in length and 17.5 cm in circumference. …Barite crystals are commonly found implanted on beautiful yellow or yellow-orange calcite (3mm to 2.5 cm). Aside from providing a nicely contrasting background, the morphology of the individual calcite crystals is unusual… Barite Occurs as colorless, yellow, amber or deep golden brown, transparent crystals that are elongate parallel to [010]…Length to width ratios vary between to 2 to 1 and 7 to 1, resulting in stubby to elongate prismatic crystals. Roberts and Rapp also noted that the dome faces on some crystals are curved right, left, backwards and forwards. These faces may also be rather bumpy and upon close inspection these “bumps” actually represent numerous growth hillocks which may indicate stress within the crystal structure. Th is supported by the extreme sensitivity these crystals have to abrupt temperature changes (e.g., handling a cool crystal with warm fingers); the crystal will immediately fracture internally. Nevertheless, Sinkankas (1959 reports that Elk Creek barite has been more successfully cut and faceted than barite from other localities because the crystals are far less inclined to split. Barite from this locality fluoresces and phosphoresces bright yellow-white under shortwave ultraviolet radiation…”1 “At the Elk Creek and Hoover localities barite occurs in fossiliferous, septarian, calcareous concretions. Concretions are found in several units of the Pierre shale, but at the Elk Creek locality the barite-baring concretions are found within the Gregory Member. This stratigraphic unit is characterized by the presence of Baculites gregoriensis. It is not known with certainty whether the unit hosting the barite-bearing concretions at Hoover is the Gregory Member or not. Along Elk Creek, limestone concretions are found in at least four distinct horizons. Generally, the best horizon is the lowermost one that occurs at or near the creek bottom. Since the bedding is essentially horizontal this lower horizon can be traced for some distance within the draws. Potential barite-bearing concretions can be characterized and oblate spheroids 1 to 3 meters in maximum dimension; they are septarian, fossiliferous and partially hollow. Septa are composed of yellow calcite. Invertebrate fossils found in the concretions include the Cephalopods…”1 There are two localities for golden barite in western South Dakota. Elk Creek is the best know of the two. The other is near Hoover in Meade county. The Mead County locality has also produced fine specimens and are usually distinguished from the Elk Creek locality in that the barites often form sprays of prismatic crystals rather than single crystals isolated on the yellow calcite. The best specimens will cost several thousand dollars and even modest specimens will cost over a hundred. See the good article sited below by Campbell, Campbell & Roberts.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 18, 1987, p 125-8.

Tennessee, Smith County, Elmwood Mine. Few collectors are going to go out and buy a specimen of barite from this locality because they form “white to cream-colored, frothy-appearing masses and nearly perfect hemispheres of spheres to 35 cm in diameter. The individual crystals comprising the spherical aggregates are semi-oriented and have a peculiar, attenuated form with curved faces. The barite commonly occurs on a matrix of sphalerite and/or fluorite, and sometimes galena.”1 They are not very attractive but become so instantly when the beautiful gemmy amber calcite crystals are found growing on them. They are often associated with attractive balls of shiny black sphalerite and blue fluorite crystals. The barite from this mine frequently has some strontium in its structure.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 9, 1978, p 215.

Tristate District, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. This lead and zinc mining district is located intersection of the three states of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma is better known for its Galena, Sphalerite and Calcite specimens. The barites are not outstanding but they are of interest to collectors who specialize in minerals from this district. The Texas mine NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Sec 23, T29N R23E. near Hockerville, in Ottawa County, Oklahoma across the state line from Baxter Springs Kansas has produced some interesting barites. Mining in this district has stopped but in the first part of the twentieth century mining in this district was extensive and continuous for many years. There are literally hundreds of miles of tunnels and it used to be possible to drive around in diesel powered jeeps from one state to another through the various mines. Tons of galena, sphalerite, and calcite specimens were collected when the mines were active. when the district was active but barite specimens were rare. Pockets the size of rooms were not uncommon in the district and it often took longer to wrap the specimens that it did to collect them. Specimens from this district used to be a drug on the market, but today you do not often see them for sale. It is a mystery what happened to all of them.

Utah, Emery County. “One flat transparent clear 3.5 cm xl on yellowish calcite points w / large milky calcite xl pieces. Rare.”
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

Utah, Dugway Mt. Range, Juab County. “Milky tabular blades, parallel to 5 cm perched on fragile pocket of tiny calcite xls, 7 cm. Rare.”
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

Utah, Kane County, Orderville, Orderville Mine. “White thin blades in groups to 1.5 cm on mimetite balls, dark yellow wulfenite blades to 1+ cm. Exactly like Mexico San Francisco mine material. 6 cm specimen. Rare.”
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

Utah, Dugway Mountains, Tooele County, Buckhorn Canyon. “Harvey Gordon…Reno, NV… had large (up to 50 cm)groups of bladed white barite crystals from Buckhorn Canyon…Some are associated with minor purple fluorite and make attractive, large specimens.”1
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 24, 1993, p 48.
Talk to Harvey and find out about these barites.

Washington, Northern Cascade Mountains, King County, Spruce Peak, Spruce Claim. “The Spruce claim in King County is now a well-established locality for fine quartz and pyrite specimens. This year was no exception, as more excellent specimens were produced. New this year, however were some large barite crystals. These typically form multiple, parallel growths of opaque, white, diamond-shaped crystals in groups and aggregates up to 20 cm. Specimens were available at the Tucson show from the claim’s owner, Bob Jackson…Renton, WA.1 There is a picture of what is considered a good barite specimen from the locality in the fine article on the locality by John Medici et. al. sited here.2 Barite specimens from the locality are not common and in the compared to specimens from some of the better localities, not very good. The spruce claim is on a steep mountain side and specimens are found and collected with considerable difficulty in spaces between large blocks of granodiorite in a breccia zone but only in the summer time.
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 21, 1990, p 485. 2 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 9, 1978, p 349-58.

Washington, Oreille County, Pend, Metaline Falls. “Thick dark amber blade, 1x2 cm on matrix, some palygorskite. 4 cm. Rare”1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

Washington, Stevens County, Northport, Flagstaff Mountain. Some unremarkable gray to tan barite specimens, usually associated with a yellow tan calcite have come from Flagstaff Mountain.
Ask Bart Cannon about this locality, how much was collected etc.

Wisconsin, Iron County, Montreal, Montreal Mine. “…a 2-inch diamond-shaped blue barite crystal on matrix…”1 The Montreal Mine is an iron mine. It is a locality not well known to collectors but has produced some good specimens. John Barlow of Appleton, Wisconsin has the best collection of specimens from this mine. “Classic locality, Typical pinkish elongated blades, some whit (quartz?) coating, in nice rosette, 4.5 cm. Also stalactitic growths of "“limonite"” with clusters of salmon colored barite blades to 1 cm, 10 cm. Also occurs in white or orange spears to several cm. Common."2
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 11, 1980, p 59. 2 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

Wyoming, Carbon County, Shirley Basin. “…tabular blue barite crystals in groups up to 7 cm from Shirley Basin…”1
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 21, 1990, p 485.
Ask Mel Dyke for a better locality and description of this material.

Baryte, Angola (no replies)

Rock Currier — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:27:45 +0000

Baryte, Argentina (no replies)

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Baryte, Australia (7 replies)

Rock Currier — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:00:18 +0000


Barite, Rosebery, Tasmania, FOV 50x30mm	© R. Bottrill

Here will go a good picture of a Baryte from Australia and general remarks about the Baryte from this country. Here are some url's to some of the better Australian Baryte specimens here on Mindat that can be considered for inclusion in the article. These, in most cases are just for temporary use until we can get images of the much better specimens that are almost certainly out there. We should also consider that there are probably localities out there with fine specimens that are not even mentioned on Mindat. Also in some instances there are sometimes pictures on Mindat, of specimens from a locality, but they were so ratty that I did not include them here, but there may also be really good specimens from there that we should talk about in this article.

Australia
New South Wales, Prospect Hill, Prospect Quarry.
This basalt quarry is better know for its fine prehnite specimens than its barite. But “Barite was the last of the minerals to crystallize in the vugs. It is very rare and specimens are found very occasionally. It has been observed as tabular white crystals in parallel groups to 1 cm across on drusy siderite (Australian Museum specimen D35330), rosettes of pale brown, transparent, tabular crystals to 4 mm across on white calcite Australian Museum specimen D38535) and similar rosettes on drusy marcasite (George Dale collection) from the sheared gabbroic dolerite exposed between the Widemere and Prospect quarries.”1
1 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 25, 1994, p 188.

Australia
Broken Hill, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia


© Greg Murray

http://www.mindat.org/photo-33482.html
Barite is rare in this deposit, but can occur in attractive yellow crystals in the late carbonate veins, usually on a white to pink manganoan calcite.

Handlebar Hill Open Cut, Hilton deposits, Mount Isa
district, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Queensland,
Australia


© Ryan Eagle

http://www.mindat.org/photo-207647.html

Black Rock Open Cut, Mount Isa mines, Mount Isa district, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Queensland,
Australia


© Mark Rheinberger

Nice golden barites were found in the 1980s. We need more photos
Queensland, Mount Isa. “Barite is one of the more spectacular minerals occurring at Mount Isa. The best specimens come from the copper orebodies. Beautiful, golden brown, flattened tabular to prismatic crystals to 4 cm occur associated with native copper (often altered to malachite) within a honeycomb siliceous sinter. The sinter was found in large masses on 4 level within the Black Rock open cut. The barite is clouded by native copper inclusions. Plates exceeding 30 cm were found but few have survived. Some large, golden brown, prismatic crystals to 10 cm with copper, chalcopyrite and pyrite inclusions were also found. Occasional yellow-brown, blocky prismatic to tabular crystals up to 10 cm in length, some doubly terminated, have emerged from various fault zones within the copper orebodies. Some attractive barite clusters have been found in sepiolite and palygorskite fault fill from within the silver-lead-zinc orebodies. A notable occurrence was on 16D sublevel where yellow clusters to 3 cm across were found enclosed within sepiolite. The clusters are composed of thick, bladed crystals up to 1 cm long, forming as elongated rosettes. The miners use high-pressure hoses to blast the sepiolite and palygorskite in such faults. The result is that literally rains barite crystals.”1
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 19, 1988, p.478.

Flinders Ranges, South Australia, Australia


© Greg Murray

http://www.mindat.org/photo-28972.html
Barite is common in veins in many parts of the Flinders and Mt Lofty Ranges, and some are large enough for mining. There have been some good crystals found in some of these veins, especially from the ## mine.
South Australia, Flinders Ranges, Oraparinna. “Parallel group of golden blocky xls to 2 cm. gemmy tips. 2.5 cm. somewhat scarce.”1
1 Bill Dameron, personal communication, 2003, description of specimens in his collection.

South Australia, Mt Lofty Ranges, Burra Burra Mine.


Baryte crystals to 5mm in height perched in a vug of Malachite crystals	© M. Willoughby 08

“Sharp, lustrous crystals of barite up to 2 cm with azurite, malachite and libethenite on chrysocolla on quartzite matrix were found. The crystals, of a bladed to tabular habit, are transparent and range from colorless to pale yellow. Barite was also found as fawn-brown nodules to 7 cm across, the centers of which are buggy and lined with minute colorless barite crystals and occasional hemispheres of malachite.”1
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 25, 1994, p.127.

Rosebery Mine, Rosebery, Rosebery district, Tasmania, Australia


© Martins da Pedra

http://www.mindat.org/photo-81589.html
This min has argualble produced Australias best barites. The ore is rich in barite, but the best specimens are found in late fractures, as pale yellow to honey-brown crystals to several cm long. They were abundant in the 1970's bur are becoming rare now.
Tasmania, Rosenbery Mine. “Nice specimens of transparent yellow barite came from the Rosenbery mine in the 1970’s. The crystals are up to 2 cm long on plates up to 20 cm across.”1
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 19, 1988, p.385.

Melba Flats, Queenstown


25 mm	© R Bottrill

This deposit was mined for barite, in some large veins. There were common vughs which produced some sizable crystals, usually white to colourless, to several cm across. The site is badly overgrown and not much has been found there for a long while.

Prince Lyell Mine, Queenstown, Tasmania


30mm	© R. Bottrill, 2007

Some excellent small crystals have been found in this mine in the last couple decades. They are usually sparse rhombic crystals, white to colouless, with quartz, calcite, dolomite and siderite, and the combinations can be attractive.

Henty mine, Tasmania


40mm FOV	© R. Bottrill 2006

http://www.mindat.org/photo-87809.html
Some very nice bladed baryte crystals to at least 5cm have been found in this mine, which sadly has banned all collecting. They usually occur on drusy quartz and dolomite, commonly with chalcopyrite.

Boral Quarry, Bridgewater, Tasmania, Australia
Good photo needed.
This is an unusal occurrence, but similar to the Bundoora, Victoria barytes.

Boral Limited quarry, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia


© Judy Rowe

http://www.mindat.org/photo-184513.html

Small barites occur in some vesicles in the Tertiary basalts of Victoria, and the Bundoora Quarry is one of the best sites. They are usually only micros to miniatures, but can be attractive.
Victoria, Phillip Island, Red Cliff Head. “Snow-white aggregates of platy barite crystals up to 7 mm across form attractive combinations with orange chabazite at Red Cliff Head on Phillip Island. Similar crystals have also been observed with ferrierite, calcite or chalcedony at Red Bluff and several other localities.”1 These barites are found in amygdaloidal pockets in Tertiary age basalts. A good article about the zeolites and associated minerals from Red Cliff Head, Philip Island and Flinders is sited below.
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 19, 1988, p.457.

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Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities?

Baryte, Canada
BaSO₄ Orthorhombic
Here will go a good picture of a Baryte from Canada and general remarks about the Baryte from this country. Here are some url's to some of the better Canadian Baryte specimens here on Mindat that can be considered for inclusion in the article. These, in most cases are just for temporary use until we can get images of the much better specimens that are almost certainly out there. We should also consider that there are probably localities out there with fine specimens that are not even mentioned on Mindat. Also in some instances there are sometimes pictures on Mindat, of specimens from a locality, but they were so ratty that I did not include them here, but there may also be really good specimens from there that we should talk about in this article.

Canada
Rock Candy Mine, Grand Forks, Greenwood Mining

Division, British Columbia, Canada
Rock Candy Mine, Grand Forks, Greenwood Mining

Division, British Columbia, Canada
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Collier's Bay, Newfoundland, Newfoundland and

Labrador, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Eureka Mine (Old Barite Mine), Five Islands, Bay of

Fundy, Cumberland Co., Nova Scotia, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Swan Creek, Parrsboro, Bay of Fundy, Cumberland Co.,

Nova Scotia, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Pictou, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Burleigh Falls Barite Road Cut, Burleigh Falls,

Burleigh Township, Ontario, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Niobec mine, Saguenay (Chicoutimi), Le

Fjord-du-Saguenay Co., Québec, Canada
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Poudrette quarry (Demix quarry; Uni-Mix quarry;

Desourdy quarry), Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville Co.,

Québec, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Touché claims (Patience claims), Rock River, Dawson

Mining District, Yukon Territory, Canada
[www.mindat.org]

Here are some notes about Canadian Baryte that may be useful for whoever writes this article.

Canada
British Colombia, Grand Forks, Rock Candy Mine. The Candy mine is noted for its green fluorite and golden barite specimens. When they are associated with each other they specimens can be striking. The best specimens are the golden tabular, diamond shaped barite crystals up to about 10 cm growing on somewhat rough green fluorite octahedrons. On a good weekend a hard working collector could come away with one to two hundred specimens if he got lucky and if he were very lucky he might get two or three find specimens. Almost all the good specimens collected here were dug by dedicated field collectors with hand tools. The locality has produced specimens for many hears. Over the years collectors and commercial collectors have beaten this locality to death and some the property owners have effectively blasted the workings shut for fear that someone would be killed in the increasingly dangerous workings. Most of the better specimens came from a big mostly open stope in the upper workings that were open to the surface. The best specimens from here would sell for more than $1000 each, but lesser specimens can be found from time to time for less than $100. The Rock Candy mine is a fluorite mine that started operation in 1918 and the first production of a few hundred tons was taken out by pack animals. The mine was worked on three levels and the stopes eventually broke through to the surface. All told the mine produced perhaps 50,000 tons of fluorite. “The most important feature of the deposit with respect to the collector is the abundance and size of the cavities. Small vugs less than 2 inches are exceedingly common through out the deposit. The largest vug I have seen was approximately 15 feet long, with a diameter of 3 feet! A thick mud, probably kaolinite-rich, fills most of the large cavities…Almost all of the large vugs are surrounded by concentric fracture systems, and are at least in part collapsed, the collapsed debris often cemented with barite. The larger pockets have produced wall-plates weighing over 100 pounds.1 ”
1. Mineralogical Record, Joe Nagel, Vol. 12, 1981, p.99.

Northwest Territories, Baffin Island, Nanisivik Mine. “…translucent, white blocky crystals of barite up to 3 cm across have been found occupying small vugs and rectangular molds in dolomite near the hanging wall at both 39 North Portal and the Ocean view Deposit. The crystals are tabular on (001) and often elongated on [100] with large {001} pinacoids and {102} and {011} prisms. …’while high-quality specimens have not been found, the Ocean view property is in its early stages of development and better specimens may be forthcoming.1 ” The Nanisivik mine is better known for its specimens of pyrite which occur in a bewildering array of forms. The mine is located about 700 km north of the arctic circle and here the permafrost is 1500 meters deep. The pockets are full of ice and after specimens are collected the ice must be melted off to expose the crystals. During the summer months ice crystallizes on the mine workings to a depth of about a half a meter due to the moist “warm 10°C air pumped in from the surface for ventilation. See the interesting article cited below about the deposit and the specimens.
1. Mineralogical Record, Pete Dunn & Carl Francis, Vol. 21, 1990, p.521.

Nova Scotia, Pictou County. has produces a few striking white bladed buy almost blocky Barites growing on a black matrix which provides a pleasing contrast. You may never see one of these offered for sale.

Ontario
Madoc, Hastings County. The mines in this fluorite mining district are much better known for their fluorite crystals, transparent colorless to pale green sharp cubes than they are for the barite specimens they produced. “Next to fluorite, barite is the most abundant mineral in the Madoc fluorite mines. It occurs in a variety of colors, including beige, ale blue, and red and yellow, but white is by far the most common. It is most commonly massive, interbanded with fluorite and calcite, but stalactitic, columnar, nodular, fibrous and ocherous varieties have also been found. Probably the most commonly encountered habit of crystallization is cauliflower-like domes of small tabular crystals, although Wilson (1929) reports single crystals over 2 cm in diameter.1 All the mines in the Madoc area have been closed since1961 and no collecting is permitted at many of the by the current owners. Some of the mines have been so thoroughly reclaimed it is difficult to know that the site was at one time a mine.
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 13, 1982, p.91.
Bailey Mine. “The Bailey mine produced large specimens of green fluorite crystals, commonly encrusted by white barite. Early specimens of this type are in the collections fo the British Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of Canada. …Wilson (1929)1 reports numerous large caverns in the underground workings, and notes one in particular: “In the drift southwest of the shaft (35 feet) beneath the Bailey farm house, a large open cavern was met in which stalactites and stalagmites of barite and fluorspar are said to have been present.”2
1. Wislon, AAM.E. (1929) Fluorspar Deposits of Canada, Canada Dept. of Mines, Geological Survey, Economic Geology Series, No. 6. 2.Mineralogical Record, Vol. 13, 1982, p.88”
Keene Mine. “In the early 1940’s, some deep green crystals (of fluorite) associated with white, crested spheres of barite and pyrite crystals were found…One exceptional specimen of this type is in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum, and another is owned by Don Demaray, of London, Ontario.” The Keene mine has also been called the Kane or the Bradley mine.
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 13, 1982, p.88.
Rogers Mine. “In 1976 a few specimens of…(fluorite) crystals on barite were collected…However, collecting was limited due to the extremely shallow water table, and the easily available material was soon exhausted.”1 The Rogers mine was much better known for wonderful optically clear fluorite crystals up to 25 cm. The barite crystals talked about here were botryoidal masses of small bladed barites with nice fluorite crystals growing on them.
1. Mineralogical Record, Frank Melanson & George Robinson, Vol. 13, 1982, p.89.

Quebec, Chicoutimi, Niobec Mine. “Barite crystals line vugs up to 7 m in diameter in the Trenton limestone. These vugs, or more properly, solution cavities are encountered from time to time as drifting passes through the limestone to the ore. At least six major vugs have been encountered to date (June 1980) and additional ones may be expected. Most crystals are still attached to the walls but many are found in the floor rubble. The crystals all exhibit the typical, thick tabular form of barite with prominent basil pinacoids and the first and second order prisms. They range up to 40 cm in length and up to 20 kg in weight. Most crystals are singly terminated but a few doubly terminated ones have been found. All are transparent and of grayish color. About half the crystals are partially coated with a thin veneer of pyrite, which may in turn, may be mantled by a thin overgrowth of barite. Calcite and fluorite are associated with, and later than, the barite. The calcite occurs as interesting flattened scalenohedrons from 2 cm to 10 cm in diameter, somewhat resembling the “poker chip” calcite from Coahuila, Mexico. Fluorite occurs sparingly as pale green cubes to 8 mm on an edge, on the calcite, and occasionally as pale yellow microcrystals on the barite.”1 “These crystals are big, but they are usually damaged, not colorful, not very transparent, not very attractive, and not very desirable to collectors. I have not seen any of them offered for sale and am not unhappy about that. The Niobec mine’s main ore is pyrochlore which is mined for its niobium (columbium) content.
1. Mineralogical Record, Irwin Kennedy, Gilles Gagnon, Vol. 12, 1981, p.355-57.
Bill Dameron lists “Classic flat tabular 3.5 cm cream/white crystal, complete floater, with tinny pyrites on it. Scepter on matrix, 11 cm, with smaller, clearer scepters, 14 cm. One of the best from the mine. Also occurs with tiny calcite xls. Common.” Scepters of barite?

Yukon Territory, Itsy Mountains, near Macmillan Pass, Gunn Claim. “…a barium skarn deposit at the Gunn claim…where superb, rich, red gillespite occurs with pellet, sanbornite, taramellite, fresnoite, muirite and other species, including some tapered, blue barite crystals up to 13 cm long.”1
1. Mineralogical Record, What’s new in Minerals, Vol. 17, 1986, p.340.
Wrote George Robinson about what if anything has happened at this locality and asked about the nature of the barite crystals. Rod Tyson says that the only one he knows that has been to the claims that knows anything about minerals is Gary Ansell who is now retired and living near Nanaimo, BC. See if George Robinson has his email.

Yukon Territory, Richardson Mountains, Rock River, Patience Claim. “…there is a new barite locality at Rock River in the Richardson Mountains…The crystals form groups of tabular prisms up to 45 kg (100 lbs.) associated with pale yellow calcite. The crystals are reportedly gray when collected, but turn blue upon exposure to sunlight. The best are quite nearly as good as the more famous English material.”1 “The individual crystals were up to 5 inches and I sold one group that weighed close to 180 lbs. We dug perhaps a ton of specimens from a surface exposure found by Noranda during regular mineral exploration-we alter staked the occurrence as the Patience claim. The barites are gray-white to start and turn blue upon exposure to sunlight in a matter of 30 or 40 minuets. This locality is about 12 miles off the Dempster highway where it crosses the Rock River.”2 Notice that the description of the guy who dug the stuff is really a lot more meaningful than the brief note in the magazine.
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 17, 1986, p.339. 2 Rod Tyson, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, personal communication 2003.

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