Barite

specimen number:
2292359

location:
Crystal Victory Mine, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:
A fan like cluster of light blue to colorless barite crystals. In great condition. Classic material for this species and locality. Minor fluorite is present on the backside of the piece.

The Shirley Basin in Carbon County, Wyoming, is an asymmetric intermontane basin formed during the Laramide Orogeny that is historically prominent for its rich Eocene-aged uranium deposits discovered in 1955. The basin's sedimentary fill consists of the Wind River Formation, where ancient, porous river-channel sandstones hosted roll-front uranium mineralization. During uranium exploration and open-pit mining operations in the mid-to-late twentieth century, miners and geologists discovered localized sedimentary cavities containing blue barite. Formed by low-temperature hydrothermal or meteoric fluids rich in barium and sulfate, these barite occurrences crystallized as distinct, lustrous, tabular blue crystals, often resting on a contrasting matrix of colorless calcite.

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