Muséum national d'histoire naturelle _ The species

FROM : Four la Brouque, Puy-de-Dôme, France
SIZE : 5.4 x 1.7 x 1.3 cm

This specimen is made up of a cluster of barite crystals. The crystals form sceptres, with an amber-yellow color and they are transparent.

This specimen comes from the deposit of Four la Brouque in the Puy-De-Dôme. It was offered to the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle by Mr. Pierre-Jacques Chiappero. It is kept today in the storage rooms of the collections (i.e., not yet displayed to the public).

Photographie : A. Dahmane / Photo Saint-Hilaire,
© MNHN.

SPECIE : Barite

HISTORY : Name inspired by the Greek word "βαρυσ" [barys] meaning heavy. In reference to its high density

Species first described in 1800 by Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten (1768-1810), German matematician

Type-locality: undefined because species already known by the Ancients
ANCIENT NAME : Baryte

CHEMICAL FORMULA : Ba SO4
CRYSTAL SYSTEM : Orthorhombic
COLOR : Colorless, brown, blue, green, reddish yellow
DIAPHANIETY : Transparent to opaque
LUSTER : Vitreous to resineous
STREAK : White
MORPHOLOGY : Tabular crystals, prismatic. As roses, massive, lamellar, stalactitic
HARDNESS : 3,0-3,5
DENSITY : 4,47

CHEMICAL CLASS : VI - Sulfates, chromates,
GROUP : Barytine
STRUNZ CLASS BEFORE 2001 : 6/A.09-20
STRUNZ CLASS AFTER 2001 : 7.AD.35

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Barite

Barite

MNHN N°205.150

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