Properties:
Baryte’s primary gift is expansion (as in inner expansion), often followed by release. Most of us will hold stress, old trauma, or even over-thinking ‘monkey mind’, as tight little bundles of tension within the body or mind. Baryte can relax the over-wound mechanism. The colour will have a direct bearing on where this expansion takes place, so each variety of baryte has its own unique qualities.

Clear baryte relaxes the over-active mind, and allows expansion to such an extent that, if followed through, the user will find the void beyond time and space. This sounds lovely, but you still need to function here on Earth, so I recommend using clear baryte only for short periods of time, followed by a grounding crystal such as a pyrite cube. Once back on planet Earth, you will find the mind is clearer and less busy and cluttered, which will aid the decision-making process, and help you to see the way forward.

Attributes:

  • Chemical Formula: BaSO4
  • Group: Sulphates
  • Crystal System: Orthorhombic
  • Hardness: 3-3½
  • Birthstone: Secondary birthstone for Aquarius
  • Chakra: Depends on colour
  • Element: Depends on colour

Mineralogy:
Baryte is a common accessory mineral in lead and zinc veins, and is also found in limestone, marine deposits, and cavities in igneous rocks. It is the primary ore for barium, making it economically important, as it is used as drilling mud in oil and gas production, a filler in paper and cloth, an inert body in coloured and white paints, and in medicine for imaging the gastrointestinal tract (barium meal).
Baryte occurs in a wide variety of habits, including tabular and prismatic crystals, and cockscomb aggregate. It is typically found as thick to thin tabular crystals, usually in clusters with the crystals growing parallel to one another, or nearly so, and also as bladed, white masses. It is surprisingly heavy for a non-metal, and would make a beautiful gemstone if it wasn’t so fragile. For the same reason, it is never polished or fashioned.

History and Tradition:
Named in 1800 by Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten from the Greek βάρυζ, “heavy”, due to its unusual heaviness for a non-metallic mineral. There are no traditions associated with this mineral.

White or Clear Baryte

White "cock's comb" Baryte, China

 

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