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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Mineral species · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Barite
Also known asBaryte
A barium sulfate mineral species with the formula BaSO4, listed as “barite” in Table A.1 of GB/T 16552—2017; it has low hardness but high density. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Barite forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale; where its colour and optical effects come from, each finding graded and sourced
- Caring for and wearing BariteCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them; durability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of BariteEach value with its source and check date
- Barite in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Name origin and history of BariteWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing BariteThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define BariteWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Baryte is barium sulfate, BaSO4, orthorhombic, and it is the most abundant barium mineral, forming a solid-solution series together with celestine. The data sheet records it chiefly in low-temperature hydrothermal veins as a gangue mineral, in residual deposits remaining after barite-bearing limestones weather, as an accessory phase in carbonatites and igneous rocks, and as one of the primary constituents of sea-floor chimneys and submarine volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits. Calcite, fluorite, dolomite, rhodochrosite, gypsum, galena, sphalerite and stibnite commonly accompany it, a signature of precipitation from barium-rich fluids in low-temperature hydrothermal and sea-floor vent settings.
Scope: Applies to the composition and occurrence of barite as a gangue mineral in low-temperature hydrothermal veins and as a component of seafloor exhalative deposits; does not include geochronology or quantitative models of specific deposits.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Where it forms
Low-temperature hydrothermal veins, where it is a gangue mineral
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Residual deposits left by weathered barite-bearing limestones; accessory in carbonatites and igneous rocks
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
One of the primary constituents of sea-floor chimneys and submarine volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
How it forms, step by step
Barium is enriched in low-temperature hydrothermal or sea-floor vent fluids.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Barium-rich fluids migrate along fractures, faults, or sea-floor conduits and meet sulfate-bearing environments.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Barium combines with sulfate to precipitate orthorhombic baryte as veins, concretions, fibers, or stalactitic aggregates.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
In sea-floor vent settings it intergrows with sulfides in massive sulfide deposits; on land it is associated with fluorite, calcite, and gypsum.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Link to appearance
Baryte is colorless to white, also yellow, brown, gray, and pale red, green, or blue, and may be zoned; its high barium content gives it a notably high density, and it is transparent to translucent with vitreous to resinous luster, fluorescing cream to spectral colors under UV and phosphorescing.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Timescale
The source does not state an absolute geological timescale for baryte formation.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Supporting findings
Baryte is found mainly as a gangue mineral within low-temperature hydrothermal veins, in residual deposits left by weathering of barite-bearing limestones, and as an accessory phase in carbonatites and igneous rocks.
Evidence grade BScope: A general occurrence summary, not a deposit model.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
In submarine volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits and in sea-floor chimneys, baryte is one of the primary constituents.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes sea-floor vent settings; not all baryte occurrences.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.
Africa
- Rosh Pinah Mine, ǁKaras Region, Namibia
Sources Mindat: Baryte
Europe
- Cumbria, England, United Kingdom
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
- Near Freiberg, Saxony, Germany
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
North America
- Colorado, United States
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Oceania
- Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Sources Mindat: Baryte
Seas and coasts
- WorldwideThe most common barium mineral; Mindat records 14,774 localities
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy · Mindat: Baryte
These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Causes of colour and optical effects
Under UV light baryte can be thermoluminescent, and it may fluoresce or phosphoresce in colours from cream through the spectrum.
Evidence grade BScope: The source records the phenomena but gives no activator or mechanism.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Where the name comes from
The English name baryte derives from the Greek for “weight,” in allusion to its high specific gravity.
Evidence grade BScope: Etymology explains the origin of the name only; it does not establish the material's composition, locality, naturalness, or treatment.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Other research findings
Baryte is barium sulfate, BaSO4, orthorhombic, and the most common barium mineral.
Evidence grade BScope: Ideal composition; minor Ca and Sr may substitute.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Baryte forms a solid-solution series with celestine.
Evidence grade BScope: The series relationship, not the end-member ratio of a sample.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- The data sheet gives no absolute ages for baryte formation.
- The cited CIBJO gemstone list does not include baryte, so the identity boundary rests on a single source.
- The specific activator of baryte's thermoluminescence and fluorescence is not explained in this source.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Barite
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1 “Barite” · IMA Mineral List 2026-07 “Baryte”
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
Barite is Baryte (BaSO4); use "Barite" for listings, and disclose any known treatments.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.1, row 重晶石 (Barite)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Barite" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Care and wear
Care
care (light)2 sources compared
Barite — care (light): in a 2025 accelerated UVA-340 nm ageing study, the single Moroccan barite sample tested fell in the medium colour-change group (ΔE between 7 and 20); this is a lab result for one specimen under intensified UV.
Minerals (Sitzia et al., 2025)
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-10-06
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-10-06
Barite — care (light): the Oxford Mineral Susceptibility Database flags baryte as changing colour under high light levels; depending on the starting colour it may turn chalky white, deeper blue, colourless, or shift from yellow-brown towards green or blue.
Mineral Sensitivity Database, Oxford (2021)
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-10-06
- Source
- K. Royce, “The Mineral Susceptibility Database” (MSD-2021.06), University of Oxford (2021), doi:10.5287/bodleian:r17kVJb7d: p.44, body text (locator checked 2026-10-06)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-10-06
Barite — care (chemicals): in the database's water-and-acid table, the baryte entry notes slow dissolution in concentrated sulphuric acid.
Mineral Sensitivity Database, Oxford (2021)
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-10-06
- Source
- K. Royce, “The Mineral Susceptibility Database” (MSD-2021.06), University of Oxford (2021), doi:10.5287/bodleian:r17kVJb7d: p.58, body text (locator checked 2026-10-06)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-10-06
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Common care questions and matching entries
Each question links to the matching entries on this page; whether they answer it fully, go by the entry wording.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
Durability and wearing
Toughness
Brittle
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Besides Barite, the name register records "Baryte", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded.
Standard and listing namesThe GB/T 16552—2017 standard name and the Chinese standard name for Barite are both barite (Table A.1), and the suggested listing name is also Barite. Trade and mineralogical namesThe trade name or synonym and the mineralogical name are written Baryte, with the chemical formula BaSO4; this synonym can be aligned automatically and has no registered restriction on use, on the basis of a ruling by this site (no clause attached). Names in four languagesNames are registered in four languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Barite) and Japanese; the GSJ (Japan) formal name is barite, with hokutolite noted. Institution usageOn authority wording, the FTC and CIBJO texts on file have no wording for this name (checked), and GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the English name of Barite itself, which does not represent their position.
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
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| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (1) | ||||
| BaryteEnglish | synonym | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 重晶石（北投石）
- Chinese formal name
- 重晶石 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1)
- Mineralogical name
- Baryte (BaSO4)
- Trade names and synonyms
- Baryte (synonym)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 重晶石
- 繁體中文
- 重晶石
- English
- Barite
- 日本語
- バライト／重晶石
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Sulfate minerals
- Identity tier
- Mineral species
- Mineral chemical class
- Sulfates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
What it is and how it's identified
Barite has the composition (Ba,Sr)SO4, with more Ba than Sr. It is crystalline, orthorhombic, with a tabular habit, sometimes forming prismatic, granular or fibrous aggregates, or stalactitic or nodular aggregates. Mohs hardness is 3–4; site general note: hardness alone is not enough to judge durability. Cleavage is perfect in two directions. Density is 4.3–4.6 g/cm³; site qualification: the cited clause gives 4.50 with a stated tolerance of +0.10, −0.20, and the range shown is worked out from that. Optic character is anisotropic, biaxial, optically positive. Refractive index is 1.634–1.649; site qualification: the cited clause gives 1.636–1.648 with a stated tolerance of +0.001, −0.002, and the range shown is worked out from that. Birefringence is 0.012. Untreated, the lustre is vitreous. The UV-visible spectrum is not diagnostic, and the mid-infrared region shows the characteristic infrared absorption bands of barite.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Definition
Barite — composition (chemistry): (Ba,Sr) SO4, with more Ba than Sr.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Structure
Barite — structure (overall): crystalline
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — structure (crystal system): orthorhombic
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — structure (crystal habit): platy; sometimes columnar, granular or fibrous aggregates, or stalactitic or nodular aggregates.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Durability
Barite — Mohs hardness: 3–4
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- General note
- hardness only, not durability
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — cleavage: two directions of perfect cleavage
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Physical properties
Barite — density: 4.3–4.6 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 4.50, with a stated tolerance of +0.10 / -0.20. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Optical
Barite — optic character: biaxial, optically positive (anisotropic)
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — refractive index: 1.634–1.649
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 1.636–1.648, with a stated tolerance of +0.001 / -0.002. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — birefringence: 0.012
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — pleochroism: none to weak, vary from color
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — fluorescence (overall): fluorescence and phosphorescence are occasionally seen; weak, blue, light green.
GB/T 16553—2017
UV fluorescencebluelight greenweakDots are illustrative colours built from the colour names, not measured values
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — spectrum (UV-visible): non-characteristic
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — spectrum (infrared): Barite's own diagnostic bands are seen in the mid-IR
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — magnification: gas-liquid inclusions, mineral inclusions, growth striations
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Barite — body colour: colorless to red, yellow, green, blue, brown, etc.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
In chapter 5 of GB/T 16553—2017, the colour entries of Topaz, Kornerupine, Zircon and other variety clauses also name colourless.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Quality factors
Barite — quality factor (lustre): vitreous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.35 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.641 / 4.45; Closest values: 1Celestite / Celestine 1.628 / 4.08, 2Smithsonite 1.735 / 4.38, 3Pyrope 1.728 / 3.9, 4Tsavorite 1.74 / 3.9, 5Grossular 1.745 / 3.9
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Clause-level definitions
Barite has a clause-level definition in GB/T 16552—2017 Annex A, Table A.1, under the term Barite, defined as Barite (BaSO4); the cross-check result is that GB/T lists it directly, while no standalone CIBJO entry under the same name was found. On the CIBJO side the check result is absent: chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 has neither Baryte nor Barite.
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| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barite | GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A | Barite (BaSO4) | Listed directly by GB/T; CIBJO carries no standalone entry under the same name. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- RRUFF Project, in partnership with the IMA – International Mineralogical Association. IMA Mineral List.
- Geological Survey of Japan, AIST (Japan). Museum mineral specimens, browse by classification.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Sulfate minerals | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Barite entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.