It is the most common source ore for refining elemental mercury and is the historic source for the brilliant red or scarlet pigment termed vermilion and associated red mercury pigments. Cinnabar generally occurs as a vein-filling mineral associated with volcanic activity and alkaline hot springs.

The natural levels of mercury in the Earth’s crust vary from place to place, but average about 50 mg per tonne of rock. Mercury is mined when present in cinnabar ores, which generally contain about 10 kg per tonne of rock.

Cinnabar is a toxic mercury sulfide mineral with a chemical composition of HgS. It is the only important ore of mercury. It has a bright red color that has caused people to use it as a pigment, and carve it into jewelry and ornaments for thousands of years in many parts of the world.

There are more than 25 known minerals containing mercury, but the principal ore mineral is cinnabar, a soft, red to reddish brown mercury sulfide. Some cinnabar deposits may also contain elemental mercury. The mineral has been found in all continents except Antarctica.

Jun 14, 2024 · Cinnabar: The Primary Mercury Ore. The most significant natural source of mercury is the mineral cinnabar (HgS), a mercury sulfide. Cinnabar is typically a bright red mineral, often found in veins and rock fractures associated …

Mar 12, 2025 · cinnabar, mercury sulfide (HgS), the chief ore mineral of mercury. It is commonly encountered with pyrite, marcasite, and stibnite in veins near recent volcanic rocks and in hot-springs deposits. The most important deposit is at Almadén, Spain, …

Dec 28, 2019 · Cinnabar is bright red mercury sulfide, which is a main ore of mercury and used to be a source of red pigments for milleniums. Cinnabar (and mercury) had been a key to mining precious metals until beginning of the 20th century and also saved a millions of teeth.

Sep 5, 2023 · Cinnabar is a naturally occurring mercury sulfide mineral with the chemical formula HgS. It is one of the most common and well-known sources of mercury. Cinnabar typically exhibits a striking red to reddish-brown color, which is often associated with its historical use as a pigment for creating red pigments, including vermilion.

Feb 27, 2024 · Cinnabar's bright-red pigment has been used in jewelry, pottery and makeup for millennia. But cinnabar is also the primary ore for mercury, making it a dangerous mineral if the particles are inhaled.

Cinnabar is the chief mineral composed of the element mercury, and is a very important ore mineral. Though most Cinnabar is massive and uninteresting in habit, several localities produce phenomenal and strikingly colored red crystals that stand out …