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Cinnabar
Cinnabar
Mineral Properties and Uses
What is Cinnabar?
Cinnabar is a mercury sulfide mineral and the most important ore of mercury. It is most often found near recent volcanic activity. It forms at low temperatures in veins and other pore spaces.
Physical Properties of Cinnabar |
| Color |
scarlet red to brownish red |
| Streak |
scarlet |
| Luster |
adamantine |
| Diaphaneity |
transparent to translucent |
| Cleavage |
perfect, prismatic |
| Mohs Hardness |
2 - 2.5 |
| Specific Gravity |
8 - 8.2 |
| Distinguishing Characteristics |
specific gravity, color, streak, cleavage |
| Chemical Composition |
mercury sulfide, HgS |
| Crystal System |
hexagonal |
Uses of Cinnabar?
Cinnabar is the primary ore of mercury. Mercury is used instruments, electrical controls and as a fungicide. It was once used to recover gold from stream sediments and crushed ore, however, other methods are now used instead.
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