Cinnabar
Cinnabar belongs to the sulfide group and contains mercury and sulfur. It is an important ore of mercury. Its chemical formula is HgS.
Cinnabar usually occurs in a massive form with a granular surface and is rarely crystallized. It is often associated with Pyrite or Marcasite.
Its color is essentially red or reddish-brown. The hardness of cinnabar varies between 2 and 2.5/10 on the Mohs scale (10 for diamond) and its density is equal to 8 (1 for water). The line on porcelain is red.
Cinnabar has long been used as a vermillion pigment despite its toxicity. The name Cinnabar is probably of oriental origin.
