Utah Agatized Barite is one of the most unique Utah rocks.
It's a fossil! But it's a fossil of a mineral! It's an agate replacement of a barium sulfate crystal nodule.
 
This is a smaller specimen but one that shows all of the unique features of Utah Agatized Barite. The crystal tops are particularly well preserved in this specimen.
 
Check out my KinesavaTALKS blog essay:
O. G. Wottafossil !!! (With apologies to Popeye)
 
Millions of years ago, barium sulfate crystal clusters were buried and replaced with silica in a process essentially the same as the way wood or bone was replaced and turned into agate. Nodules made from actual barium sulfate crystals are favorites of mineral collectors. A picture of one is included for comparison with this agate replacement.
 
This rock was found in the agate beds north of Moab where the very costly Yellowcat Wood was once found and it shares the deep red color from the geological history of the area. So many of the rocks found in this area have the same deep red color ... I'm calling it "Yellowcat Red". Check out the polished pieces. Utah agatized barite takes the same great polish as other Utah agate.
 
If you're intrigued by this rock because you've never seen anything like it before, you're not alone. One of my customers tried to find agatized barite at some other site. He couldn't do it. He wrote back and called me, The Barite King. That might be the truth because if you search for agatized barite on the web, you will probably find it in only two ways:
 
Agatized barites that I have offered for sale in the past.  (Some pictures are at Etsy.  I don't do business there anymore but they still come up as search results.)
 
 Barite beads -- I have a theory about these. I think they're produced by third-world jewelry factories. Send me a message and we can discuss my theory.
 
I found one whole, unpolished barite like mine priced at $200. It was probably purchased at an estate sale because the discovery location wasn't correct and some hand-typed labels were part of the listing. The seller clearly didn't know much about it. 
 
Do a search for yourself!!!  If you find some, let me know.

If you're interested in more rocks, you can save a few dollars by combining several items into the same custom order.  There will be just one shipping charge in a cost-effective USPS flat rate padded envelope. Send a message before ordering so we can set up the order. I do a lot of my business through custom orders and I love to work with people to get just the right rocks you're looking for.

(The listed barite is shown in the first three photos. The others are examples of barite nodules that other customers have polished to show what can be done with them!)