Barita

Baryte is an orthorhombic barium sulphate, common in hydrothermal veins, of high density and valued by collectors for its diversity of habits and colours.

It crystallises in the orthorhombic system and occurs frequently in hydrothermal veins. Its habit ranges from tabular to laminar or prismatic, with documented parallel and arborescent aggregates. In cavities it can form stalactites when precipitating under specific hydrothermal conditions. It is usually white or colourless, but may show bluish hues due to colour centres induced by natural radiation or to trace metallic elements in its crystal lattice.

In Asturias its paragenesis with violet cubic fluorite is classic. In the Cartagena-La Unión district thick tabular crystals, white or colourless, with vitreous to pearly lustre and occasional blue zoning are typical; at Campos de Golf they can show pyrolusite coatings. Barytes from Cerro Warihuyn are known for yellow to honey tabular crystals in parallel growth on dolomite. At Barranco de las Nogueras, thick white forms with satiny lustre are distinctive. It is used industrially for its high density as a source of barium and in medical applications.

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