Cinnabar
“Brilliant red, deadly mercury”
Mineral
Cinnabar is a striking scarlet-red mercury sulfide mineral and the most important ore of mercury. It has been mined and used as a vivid red pigment called vermilion for over 8,000 years, from Neolithic cave paintings to Chinese lacquerware, despite mercury's extreme toxicity.
Composition
mercury sulfide (HgS)
Where Found
Almadén (Spain), Idrija (Slovenia), Monte Amiata (Italy), Hunan (China), New Almaden (California, USA)
Mohs Hardness
2-2.5
Fun Fact
The Almadén mine in Spain has been producing cinnabar and mercury continuously for over 2,000 years — it supplied a third of all mercury ever produced worldwide.
Test Your Knowledge
Why has cinnabar mining caused severe environmental contamination at historic mining sites?
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