Baryte (Cockscomb Mass)

Baryte (also spelt barite) is a widely occurring mineral consisting of barium sulphate, they can occur with many crystal habits, in this case, these mineral specimens exhibit the cockscomb mass form, in which randomly orientated blades of the mineral occur on a massive bed. These particular specimens are a pink or orange colour with a pink bed but other colours of baryte exists, including white, buff or brown. Any barite specimen is incredibly dense, with small pieces even feeling heavier than they appear, which is surprising, considering it is a non metallic mineral. This density was how the mineral obtained its name, being derived from the Greek word ‘βάρυζ’ meaning heavy. It occurs in a range of environments and deposited via many processes including biogenic, hydrothermal and evaporation, among others. Commonly occurring in lead-zinc veins hence some of the samples contain galena (lead sulphide) as well. Over 75% of baryte extracted worldwide is used for weighting driling fluids in oil and gas exploration to control high formation pressures and prevent blowouts. These mineral specimens were mined in Mibladen, Morocco, they are available in various sizes, each specimen is supplied in a labelled card tray.