Collection: Barite

Barite (or baryte, see synonyms) is a mineral species composed of barium sulfate. This mineral, of hydrothermal origin, has many varieties. The main deposits are located in England, Canada, France, Italy, Morocco, Romania and the Czech Republic. Barite is a stone of great purity.

Described in 1800 by the German mineralogist Karl Johann Bernhard Karsten (1782 – 1853), barite owes its name to the ancient Greek βαρύς meaning “heavy”6. This name was used for the first time in the 19th century to characterize a mineral that formed a gangue in certain metalliferous deposits. The French spelling is due to Beudant.