Vanadinite on Barite

Description

Vanadinite has a hardness of 2½ – 3 and a specific gravity of 6.88, and Barite has a hardness of 3 and a specific gravity of 4.50. They each have names synonymous with their elemental compositions, and make for great displays for element collectors for that reason! Vanadinite was first discovered by Señor A.M. del Rio, a Professor at the School of Mines of Mexico, Zimapan, before the element vanadium was discovered in 1830. Meanwhile, Barite was named in 1800 by Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten from the Greek βαρύς, heavy, due to its unusual heaviness for a non-metallic mineral.

Most specimens that look like this come from Morocco, and it’s not certain that this does, as well, but it’s quite likely. There’s not very much more known about this specific piece or its history, but you can find a bunch of Vanadinite from the Southwest US, although, it’s not usually on Barite crystals like these!

Vanadinite has been found on nearly every continent in more than 1,000 known recorded localities in the 196 years since its discovery, and five within Colorado, but while Colorado has a bunch of other minerals containing Vanadium, some of the best Vanadinite in the US comes from Arizona.

Barite, on the other hand, is one of the most common minerals, with more than 13,000 known localities! Most Barite seems to present like this, and not like the stunning and clear crystals you’ll see in other videos, but within Colorado, you can also find Barite associated with metals in the San Juans that’s a white web of rock, blue crystals in Hartsel, and some yellow crystals from a couple of the mines in the Central Rockies. You can also find agate pseudomorphs after Barite on the Western Slope, but the Barite there is a bit more rare.