Baryte is the most common barium mineral, discovered in hydrothermal, sedimentary and secondary veins.
Baryte is a well heavy mineral. Over 80% of baryte is used as a drilling mud for oil and gas wells.
And used in the manufacture of paints, some floor coverings and textiles, and as a filler for paper. As "barium meal" in medical X-ray photography.
Some spécimens of baryte are thermo luminescent, following a heating they emit light temporarily.
To learn more about the mineralogy of the baryte, see mindat.org
