{"title":"Bulgarian Baryte","description":"\u003cp\u003eBaryte, also spelled barite, is barium sulfate (BaSO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c\/sub\u003e) and the main source of the element barium. Its name comes from the Greek word barys, meaning heavy, and it lives up to it: with a density of about 4.5, a baryte cluster weighs noticeably more than a quartz or calcite specimen of the same size. Most baryte mined today is ground into powder and added to drilling fluids for oil and gas wells. Because barium sulfate does not dissolve in the body, it is also the barium in the drinks patients take before some X-ray examinations, and it is used as a white pigment in paints and coatings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBulgarian baryte\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe baryte in this collection comes from Bulgaria, and several pieces come from the Androvo mine, as named in their listings. Bulgarian baryte forms white to colourless tabular crystals that grow in sharp blades, fans and stacks, with grey or brown matrix showing between the crystals in places.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eOther minerals in these specimens\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBaryte often grew in the same veins as the metal ore minerals, so some specimens carry quartz and dark galena under or between the baryte crystals. The title of each listing names every mineral in the piece, and mixed specimens also appear in the collection of each mineral they contain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to recognise baryte\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBaryte is soft at Mohs 3 to 3.5, so a knife scratches it. Its crystals are flat and tabular, from white and colourless to pale yellow, blue or brown. It has perfect cleavage, so thin edges chip easily, and the weight in the hand is the quickest clue that a white mineral is baryte rather than calcite or quartz.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eCaring for baryte\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHold baryte by its base rather than by the crystal edges, dust it with a soft dry brush, and avoid sudden temperature changes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach listing shows the weight and photos of the actual specimen.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"baryte-cluster-crystal-from-androvo-bulgaria-141g","title":"Natural Baryte Cluster Crystal from Androvo Bulgaria 141g","description":"\u003cp\u003eBaryte crystals in two sizes cover the front of this piece. Along the right, several large blocky crystals stand out, translucent and softly glassy with a faint grey-green cast, the biggest of them broad enough to hold that whole side. Across the left and center the crystals are smaller and far more numerous, white to cream, tabular and stacked at angles into one another. The grey matrix beneath is speckled with fine pyrite that shows as small bright gold points around the edges.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Androvo mine in Bulgaria is worked for baryte and collected for crystals in exactly this tabular, well-terminated habit. Untreated. Baryte is 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale, soft for a mineral this heavy, so it belongs in a cabinet; at 74mm and 141g it is an easy size to place.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStone type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural baryte\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 141g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 74x53x28mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e White to cream\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rough\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClarity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Opaque\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTreatment:\u003c\/strong\u003e Untreated\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Androvo mine, Bulgaria\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardness:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3-3.5 (Mohs)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eNatural baryte cluster, Androvo mine, Bulgaria, single piece.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lapis Magica","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55406252097861,"sku":"bg115-2","price":15.3,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0968\/8576\/8517\/files\/baryte-cluster-crystal-from-androvo-bulgaria-141g.jpg?v=1756321097"},{"product_id":"white-baryte-from-androvo-bulgaria-306g","title":"Natural White Baryte from Androvo, Bulgaria 306g","description":"\u003cp\u003eTabular baryte crystals sit in loose groups across a warm tan matrix, spread out rather than crowded, which lets each blade be seen on its own. They are white to faintly translucent, flat and squared-off, some standing on edge and some laid flat, with several larger crystals grouped toward the right where they overlap into a small fan. Fine pyrite grains and a zone of dark host rock run through the lower left.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAndrovo mine baryte is collected for well-formed tabular crystals like these, and the tan carbonate matrix they sit on is characteristic of the locality. Untreated. Baryte is 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale, soft enough that the piece belongs on a shelf rather than in a pocket; at 115mm long it presents well from the front.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStone type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural baryte\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 306g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 115x62x38mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e White on tan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rough\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClarity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Opaque\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTreatment:\u003c\/strong\u003e Untreated\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Androvo mine, Bulgaria\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardness:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3-3.5 (Mohs)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eNatural white baryte, Androvo mine, Bulgaria, single piece.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lapis Magica","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55406252523845,"sku":"bg050-3","price":23.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0968\/8576\/8517\/files\/white-baryte-from-androvo-bulgaria-306g.jpg?v=1756321090"},{"product_id":"white-baryte-from-androvo-bulgaria-330g","title":"Natural White Baryte from Androvo, Bulgaria 330g","description":"\u003cp\u003eA plate covered edge to edge in tabular baryte crystals, colorless to milky white and glassy where the faces are clean, stacked and crossing one another at all angles so the surface breaks into hundreds of small flat planes. The larger blades toward the center reach a good size and are transparent enough to see through; toward the edges the crystals grow smaller and cloudier. Along the left side and the top, a run of dark host rock studded with brassy pyrite grains gives the only color.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBaryte is barium sulfate, unusually dense for a light-colored mineral, and the Androvo mine in Bulgaria is collected for exactly this tabular habit. Untreated. At 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale it is soft, so this is a cabinet piece, and the flat 30mm profile makes it easy to stand upright or lay in a case.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStone type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural baryte\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 330g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 110x73x30mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e White\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rough\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClarity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Opaque\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTreatment:\u003c\/strong\u003e Untreated\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Androvo mine, Bulgaria\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardness:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3-3.5 (Mohs)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eNatural white baryte, Androvo mine, Bulgaria, single piece.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lapis Magica","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55406252556613,"sku":"bg049-1","price":11.2,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0968\/8576\/8517\/files\/white-baryte-from-androvo-bulgaria-330g.jpg?v=1756321090"},{"product_id":"white-barite-on-quartz-and-galena-androvo-mine-bulgaria-311g","title":"Natural White Baryte on Quartz and Galena Androvo Mine Bulgaria 311g","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlades of baryte fan out across the top of this specimen, tabular crystals with squared-off ends overlapping one another like a loosely spread stack of cards. They are colorless to milky white and glassy where the faces are clean, turning chalky and pale cream where they grow down into the matrix. Beneath and around them the surface is a bed of small white quartz crystals, and along the lower right edge sits a run of dark lead-grey galena with the bright metallic luster the mineral is known for, with a few brassy pyrite specks nearby.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBaryte is barium sulfate, and its high density is the giveaway in the hand: the piece feels noticeably heavier than a quartz specimen of the same size. The Androvo mine in Bulgaria is collected specifically for baryte in this tabular, well-formed habit, and the association with quartz and galena is typical of the ore veins there. Untreated. At 3 to 3.5 on the Mohs scale baryte is soft, which makes this a display and cabinet piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStone type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Natural baryte on quartz with galena\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 311g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 80x69x62mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e White with grey\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rough\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClarity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Opaque\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTreatment:\u003c\/strong\u003e Untreated\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Androvo mine, Bulgaria\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardness:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.5-7 (Mohs)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eNatural white baryte on quartz and galena, Androvo mine, Bulgaria, single piece.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lapis Magica","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55406253998405,"sku":"bg050-2","price":16.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0968\/8576\/8517\/files\/white-barite-on-quartz-and-galena-androvo-mine-bulgaria-311g.jpg?v=1756321074"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0968\/8576\/8517\/collections\/white-baryte-from-androvo-bulgaria-330g.jpg?v=1792501435","url":"https:\/\/lapismagica.com\/collections\/bulgarian-baryte.oembed","provider":"Lapis Magica","version":"1.0","type":"link"}