Search Mineralpedia – A Mineral Photo Database and Identification Guide

Named for the Greek words barys, meaning “heavy,” and for the silicon (sil) in the composition. Barysilite is a rare mineral that occurs in iron ores, and as thin films and veinlets in zinc ores with associated garnet, willemite, axinite, and hardtstonite. Localities for Barysilite include in Sweden, the United States, Germany, and Namibia.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/barysilite.pdf

Still commonly spelled barite, although officially spelled Baryte, this mineral is named for the Greek words barys or baros, meaning “heavy” or “weight,” respectively, in reference to the mineral’s high specific gravity. Baryte is the most common barium mineral and can be found as a gangue mineral in hydrothermal veins, in residual weathered barite-bearing limestone deposits, as an accessory in igneous rocks, in carbonatites, and as a primary constituent of submarine volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits and sea-floor chimneys. There are thousands of localities for Baryte worldwide. Can be thermoluminescent, and may fluoresce and phosphoresce a cream color to various spectral colors under ultraviolet light.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/baryte.pdf

Named after the barium and the calcite and carbonate in the composition. Barytocalcite is a rare to uncommon mineral that can be found in localities in England, Wales, Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, Australia, China, Canada, the United States, and several others. It is an accessory mineral in metallic veins and forms as a reaction of hydrothermal fluid with limestone, but may be the dominant barium-bearing species. It can also be found in carbonatites and Alpine veins. Barytocalcite will fluoresce yellow to red under long- and short-wave ultraviolet light.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/barytocalcite.pdf

Named for the relationship to lamporphyllite and for the barium in the composition. Barytolamprophyllite is a rare mineral that occurs in ijolite in its Russian localities. Additional localities include in Germany, the United States, Greenland, and Canada. Assocaited minerals include aegirine, nepheline, K-feldspar, cancrinite, apatite, amphibolites, eudialyte, natrolite, and pectolite.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/barytolamprophyllite.pdf

Named after Francesco Bassani, former Professor of Paleontology at the University of Naples in Italy. Bassanite is an uncommon mineral with localities in Italy, Tunisia, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Antarctica, among a few others. It occurs as an alteration product of gypsum in leucite, as a fumarolic mineral, in dry or perennially dry lake beds, and in caves interlayer with gypsum. Associated minerals include, additionally, anhydrite, Celestine, calcite, and gibbsite.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/bassanite.pdf

Named for the type locality at the Bastnas mines in Vastmanland, Sweden and for the dominance of cerium over the other rare earth elements in the composition. Bastasite-Ce is an uncommon mineral, but is the most common rare earth bearing mineral. It is usually a hydrothermal mineral although it is possible to be a primary mineral as well. It can be found in granite, alkali syenites and pegmatites, carbonatites, contact metamorphic deposits, and as a detrital mineral in placer deposits. Localities include in, additionally, France, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Madagascar, Burundi, Zambia, the United States, Canada, China, and several others. Bastnasite-Ce has a dark red cathodoluminescence. It is strongly piezoelectric and generated a charge in response to pressure.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/bastnasite-(Ce).pdf