Twined Cinnabar Crystal, China

Twined Cinnabar Crystal This Specimen is from the Hunan Province, China. This crystal is large for cinnabar and being a twin is even better. The second picture is a close up of the crystal. Cinnabar is a bright red mineral consisting of mercury and sulfur. It provides most of the world's supply of mercury. It is a colorful mineral that will add a unique color to any mineral collectors case. Cinnabar or Mercury Sulfide is quite often recognized by its deep red coloring. The tone of the red crystals depends on the purity of the mineral. If it is pure, the color is a vermilion red. If it is impure, the color is more of a brownish red, cinnamon red to brick red. Found mostly near the earth's surface, close to volcanic rocks and hot springs it usually occurs in earthy masses or scattered in opal.