Geology/History
The name Baryte is derived from the Greek word βαρύς meaning heavy.
Most Barite is ground to a small uniform size then used in petroleum well drilling. It is heavy & provides weight to the mud, this suppresses high formation pressures & prevent blowouts. Baryte is also nonmagnetic and does not interfere with magnetic measurements taken in boreholes.
Historically Baryte was utilised as white pigment for textiles, paper & paint. Also for the production of barium hydroxide used in refining sugar.
Other commercial applications for Baryte include sound reduction in engine compartments, coating of automobile finishes for smoothness & corrosion resistance, friction products for automobiles & trucks, radiation-shielding cement, glass ceramics & medical applications such as barium meal prior to CAT scan.
Although Baryte contains the heavy metal barium it is not considered to be a toxic chemical by most governments because of its extreme insolubility.
The traditional spelling of this mineral is Baryte & American spelling is Barite.
Metaphysical Properties
The Crystal of Gods & Angels, Brings forth a strong awareness of self, purpose & universal connectivity. Increases vibrations, connects to higher self & strengthens light pillar making it excellent for channeling, dream recall & meditation. Allows one to stay grounded while connected to higher realms this helps to assimilate healing information into the logical mind.
Baryte provides structure, cleans energy fields & boosts the imagination giving creative insight into physical manifestation. An important tool for spiritual healing & enlightenment. Baryte also enhances group harmony as it dissolves the ego & supports compassionate understanding.
Blue Baryte: Excellent for those whom worry, procrastinate & stress it bring an Angelic fluidity to the mind. Great for business owners & people in emotionally stressful high pressure situations. This particular Baryte has an Ocean energy within which is rejuvenating & comforting.
Crystal Healing
Skeletal alignment, emotional trauma, anxiety & stress, brain & memory function.
Mineralogy
Group: Baryte Group – Celestine series - Sulfate Mineral
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Composition: BaSO4
Form/Habit: Tabular parallel to base, fibrous, nodular to massive
Hardness: 3-3.5
Cleavage: Perfect cleavage parallel to base and prism faces: {001} Perfect, {210} Perfect, {010} Imperfect
Fracture: Irregular/uneven
Lustre: Vitreous, pearly
Streak: White
Specific Gravity: 4.3–5
Transparency: transparent to opaque
R.I: nα = 1.634–1.637, nβ = 1.636–1.638, nγ = 1.646–1.648
Colour: Colourless, white, light shades of blue, yellow, grey, brown
Birefringence: 0.012
Strunz Classification: 07.AD.35
Dana Classification: 28.03.01.01