Baryte occurs in a number of colours, including colourless, white, yellow and blue, nevertheless its softness, perfect cleavage, brittleness and high density allow it to be of little use like a gemstone, which is cut for collectors only. Crystals vary a good deal and could be transparent to opaque, with a number of habits from tabular to massive. Baryte is often present in lead and silver mines. Additionally, it happens in limestones, and could be deposited by hot springs. Crystals as much as 1m (40 inches) long have been discovered in Cumbria, Cornwall, and Derbyshire in England. Other good localities include Czechoslovakia, Romania, Germany, the United States and Italy.
