[4] Like other chalcogenides of the alkaline earth metals, BaS is a short wavelength emitter for electronic displays.

BaS was prepared by the Italian alchemist Vincenzo Cascariolo (also known as Vincentius or Vincentinus Casciarolus or Casciorolus, 1571–1624) via the thermo-chemical reduction of BaSO4 (available as the mineral barite).

[7] According to Harvey (1957),[8] in 1603, Vincenzo Cascariolo used barite, found at the bottom of Mount Paterno near Bologna, in one of his non-fruitful attempts to produce gold.

After grinding and heating the mineral with charcoal under reducing conditions, he obtained a persistent luminescent material that soon came to be known as Lapis Boloniensis, or Bolognian stone.

[11][12][13] A modern procedure proceeds from barium carbonate:[14] BaS crystallizes with the NaCl structure, featuring octahedral Ba2+ and S2− centres.