Barite is widely recognized by its high density and distinctively perfect cleavage. It frequently forms striking, tabular crystals or rose-like clusters, and is a staple for collectors due to its diverse color range and global availability.
Spotting barite in the field
Field marks- 1
Surprisingly heavy for a pale, non-metallic mineral, which is the giveaway
- 2
Tabular bladed crystals, often in rosettes
- 3
Soft at 3 to 3.5, does not fizz in acid
Pick it up and the weight tells you. Barite is barium sulfate and it is far denser than any pale mineral has a right to be, which is the whole reason it is mined for drilling mud. That heft plus softness plus no acid reaction is a complete identification. Barite roses, sand-included rosettes from Oklahoma, are the state rock there and form in sandstone near Noble. Colorado's Stoneham area produced fine blue crystals.
Straight answers
- Is it worth cutting?
- Too soft and too cleavable to cut. Collected as crystals and rosettes.
- What is it really worth?
- Low. Barite roses and sharp blue crystal groups are the collectible forms.
- Can you legally keep it?
- Oklahoma barite roses occur largely on private land, with some public access sites. Ordinary rules elsewhere.
Where it is worth going
- Barite rose countryAround Noble, Cleveland County, Oklahoma
The Oklahoma state rock. Sand-included rosettes weathering out of sandstone, mostly on private land.
Often confused with
Barite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Nearly identical in habit and appearance. Celestite is strontium and gives a crimson flame test; barite gives green. Barite is also slightly heavier.
How to tell apart: Calcite fizzes in acid and is much lighter. Barite does neither.
How to tell apart: Gypsum is softer at 2 and far lighter. Weight separates them at once.
Often found alongside barite
Minerals reported to co-occur with barite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- BaSO₄
- Mohs hardness
- 3-3.5
- Density
- 4.5 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal habit
- Tabular Crystals, Bladed, Crested, Or Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect Basal
- Fluorescence
- Often Fluorescent White or Yellow Under UV
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Industrial, Collector
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins, Sedimentary Limestone, And Evaporite Deposits
- Typical price
- $5-50 thumbnail, $50-500 cabinet specimen
Where rockhounds find barite
103 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Elmwood, Tennessee, USA
- Cumberland, England
- Baia Sprie, Romania
- Mibladen, Morocco
U.S. states with barite
Each link opens a state-specific list of mapped rockhounding spots that produce barite.
- Utah22 spots
- Missouri14 spots
- Oklahoma7 spots
- Wisconsin6 spots
- Indiana5 spots
- Kentucky5 spots
- New York5 spots
- Tennessee5 spots
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins, sedimentary limestone, and evaporite deposits country, the host setting where barite typically forms. If you start seeing fluorite, calcite, galena in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a tabular crystals, bladed, crested, or massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Utah, Missouri, Oklahoma. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify barite?+
Where is barite found?+
Can I find barite in the United States?+
How much is barite worth?+
What rocks look like barite?+
What minerals are found with barite?+
What kind of rock does barite form in?+
What is barite used for?+
Find barite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
