Barite or barytes is major ore of barium. It has a high specific gravity for a light coloured mineral and is a common gangue mineral in hydrothermal veins or as a repacement mineral in veins of limestone and dolomite. It is associated with lead, silver and antimony sulphides. It has the formulae BaSO4 and a relative hardness of 3. It was the first mineral to be found to be luminescent when heated, and led to the discovery of the luminescence of minerals. It is used as an ore of barium, for refining sugar, in the apper industry and as a pigment.
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