The Mineral Barite

What is Barite?

The mineral barite is made up of barium sulfate (BaSO4). Its name comes from the Greek word “barys,” which meaning “heavy.” Barite gets its name from its high specific gravity of 4.5, which is unusual for a nonmetallic mineral. Barite’s high specific gravity makes it ideal for a variety of industrial, medicinal, and manufacturing applications. Barite is also the most common ore of barium. Barite is a common mineral that may be found in a wide variety of geological environments. Barite is also known by the names baryte and barytes.

General Information

Identification Information

• Luster: Vitreous, Pearly
  
  
• Transparency: Transparent, Translucent, Opaque
  
  
• Colour: Colorless, white, yellow, brown, grey, blue, etc.; colorless in transmitted light (also tinted yellow, brown, green, blue, etc.)
  
  
• Streak: white
  
  
• Hardness: 3 on the Mohs scale
  
  
• Hardness Data: Measured
  
  
• Tenacity: Brittle
  
  
• Cleavage: Perfect

                   Perfect on {001}; less so on {210}; Imperfect on {010}.

• Fracture: Irregular/Uneven
  

Meaning & Energy

Barite is a stone that awakens our psychic skills by activating our third eye and crown chakras. It’s a stone of intuition, extraterrestrial travel, and contact with our guides and guardian angels. Barite encourages us to connect with and align with our higher selves, resulting in a passive growth in knowledge and mental awareness. When you meditate with this stone, you’ll be pushed to work at a higher frequency, which can lead to more lucid dreams, E.S.P., and “deja vu” situations. These events are all pointing you in the direction of the life path you actually desire.

The cosmos, as well as your higher self, is aiding you on your earthly trip. The Crystal Council suggests putting a piece of Barite beneath your pillowcase or directly on your forehead each night to boost the impact of the psychic skills Barite has to offer. If you don’t have a flat cabochon, you may simply tape it to your brow! Not only will this enhance and open your third eye, but it will also activate your link to the dream world. Our third eye is utilized to observe what the dream world has to offer, as well as a valuable tool for deciphering the visuals.

Health concerns

The heavy element barium is present in barite, although it has no effect on human health. Barium is non-radioactive, very insoluble, and difficult for the human body to absorb.

Barite Uses

This mineral ore is used in a variety of industries and businesses, including:

• A large portion (77 percent) of the total barite discovered is employed as a weighting component in drilling muds. This material’s non-magnetic qualities make it more beneficial for this purpose since it does not interfere with the magnetic measurements of the borehole throughout the operation.
  
  
• Blue, black, gray, or brown Barite is commonly utilized in the drilling of petroleum wells. Depending on the ore body, the appropriate Barite color is chosen.
  
  
• This is the most important ore of barium metal.
  
  
• It is also used as a filler in paint and plastic.
  
  
• It is used to reduce noise in various engine compartments.
  
  
• This stone is used to make smooth and corrosion-resistant truck and vehicle coatings.
  
  
• It is found in radiation shielding cement as well as glass ceramics.
  
  
• This mineral is also used in medicine. It is used before a contrast CAT scan to do a barium meal or an upper gastrointestinal series.
  
  
• This mineral was used to make barium hydroxide, which was then used to refine sugar.
  
  
• It was formerly employed as a pigment in paper, textiles, and paint.
  

Localities: Barite deposits may be found all over the world, however many are uneconomical. It is mined in roughly 20 nations throughout the world, with China producing the most.