Introduction: celestine is frequently found in sedimentary rocks, and especially in red-bed sequences, where it forms bed and nodules. It also occurs in hydrothermal veins, in particular in those of the Mississippi Valley type, where it may be associated with calcite, baryte, galena and sphalerite. When massive, celestine is difficult to distinguish from baryte, which is of a similar appearance, hardness and density. Furthermore, celestine actually forms a series with baryte, and many examples are known in which a composition intermediate between the two is present. Such material is often referred to as barytocelestine, however this is not a valid mineral species.

Occurrence in Wales: the first record of celestine in Wales was by Conybeare and Phillips (1822), who reported the presence of 'geodes filled with sulphate of Strontian' from Barry Island in South Glamorgan. In addition, Howard (1895) recorded the variety barytocelestine from Barry, where fine tabular blue crystals were recovered during the excavations for the docks. He also noted the presence of thin, fibrous barytocelestine veins cutting Carboniferous Limestone on Barry Island. Since that time, a number of other localities have been discovered, with the best specimens being found after cliff-falls in the mid-1990s between Penarth and Lavernock.

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