Click on a letter above to view the list of gems.    

Cinnabar
Current inventory:  1 gem
 

Chemistry:  HgS

Discovered around 800 AD;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Cinnabar's name is from the Medieval Latin cinnabaris, traceable to the Persian zinjifrah, apparently meaning dragon’s blood, for the red color.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Sulphides

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

2/C.18-10

2 : Sulphides
C : Sulphides with metal: sulphur, selenium and tellurium = 1:1
18 : Cinnabarite - Hypercinnabarite series

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Trigonal - Trapezohedral

Crystal Habit:

Rhombohedral crystals, to 10 cm; thick tabular; stout to slender prismatic. Also as incrustations, granular, and massive. Twinning: Simple contact twins Plane [0001], axis [0001]

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[1010] Perfect

Fracture:

Sub-conchoidal, Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle; slightly Sectile

Moh's Hardness:

2.0 - 2.5

Density:

8.176 - 8.20 (g/cm³)

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Health Warning:

CAUTION: Contains Mercury - always wash hands after handling. Do not inhale dust and use caution when breaking. Do not lick or ingest. Do not heat in unventilated environment - emits toxic Hg fumes. Mercury Sulfide is, however, relatively insoluble and toxicity of the pure material is low. But be aware that many samples of Cinnabar, especially those which are 'massive' rather than crystalline, also contain traces of native mercury, and this is far more easily absorbed by the body.

Optical Properties

Color:

Vermilion Red, Brownish Red, Lead gray

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent to Opaque

Luster:

Adamantine to Submetallic; massive varieties dull, earthy

Refractive Index:

n_ω = 2.905; n_ε = 3.256  Uniaxial ( + )

Birefringence:

0.351 (Anisotropism: High)

Dispersion:

Strong, over 0.40

Pleochroism:

n/a

Occurances

Geological Setting:

Formed from low-temperature hydrothermal solutions in veins, and in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic host rocks.

Type Locality:

probably India (ancient)

Year Discovered:

Around 800 AD; Ancient

View mineral photos:

Cinnabar Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Cinnabar is a beautiful mineral with colors in varying shades of red and with adamantine luster. Faceted gems are extremely rare since Cinnabar is extemely soft and fragile. Probably only a few faceted gems exist. Cabochons from Arizona can be found and make for a rare addition to a collection. Although Cinnabar is found at several locations worldwide, the source of the world's finest Cinnabar crystals is Hunan Province, China.
 

  
Cinnabar gems for sale:

We have not photographed the Cinnabar gems yet. Please check back soon.