Barium sulfate notable for its high specific gravity 4.5 . Used extensively in drilling muds for oil and gas wells. Color: Colorless, white, yellow, blue, red. Luster: Vitreous to pearly. Streak: White. Cleavage: Perfect in two directions. Hardness: 3-3.5. Transparency: Transparent to translucent. Crystal system: Orthorhombic. Chemical formula: BaSO₄. Specific gravity: 4.48. Formation: Precipitates from barium-rich hydrothermal fluids mixing with sulfate-bearing waters. Common geological settings: USA, China, India, Morocco; found in hydrothermal veins and as concretions in sedimentary rocks. Common look-alikes and related entries: Calcite, Celestine, Feldspar.
These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.
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GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T14:37:03.374859+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
IMA–CNMNC List of Mineral Names — International Mineralogical Association. Official mineral-name, nomenclature, and classification records.
Mineral ID Key — Mineralogical Society of America. Physical-property identification methods, repeat-testing guidance, and limitations.
Barium sulfate notable for its high specific gravity 4.5 . Used extensively in drilling muds for oil and gas wells.
How can you identify Barite?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Colorless, white, yellow, blue, red; lustre: Vitreous to pearly; streak: White; Mohs hardness: 3-3.5; cleavage: Perfect in two directions; crystal system: Orthorhombic; transparency: Transparent to translucent. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Barite form?
Precipitates from barium-rich hydrothermal fluids mixing with sulfate-bearing waters.
Where is Barite commonly found?
USA, China, India, Morocco; found in hydrothermal veins and as concretions in sedimentary rocks.
What is Barite commonly confused with?
Barite may be confused with Calcite, Celestine, Feldspar. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.
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