The facts
What cinnabar actually is
Cinnabar is classified as cinnabar, with the composition HgS. It crystallises in the trigonal system.
Colour comes from hg–S charge transfer with a band gap in the yellow-green, giving the intense scarlet, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 2.905–3.256. Specific gravity around 8.1. Cleavage: perfect prismatic {1010}. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where cinnabar comes from
Cinnabar is produced at Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain, Wanshan and Tongren, Guizhou, China, Nikitovka, Ukraine, Idrija, Slovenia and New Idria, California, USA.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How cinnabar is treated
Untreated, but this is a mercury sulphide: it is toxic, must never be ground, licked or worn against skin, and 'cinnabar' lacquerware carvings contain no mineral at all — they are layered tinted lacquer, and modern ones use synthetic pigment. Genuine cinnabar has the highest refractive index of any mineral in common collections.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What cinnabar is confused with
In the trade cinnabar is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Cinnabar lacquerware (no mineral), Realgar, Cuprite, Proustite or Crocoite.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 2.905–3.256 and specific gravity 8.1 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What cinnabar is used for
Demand for cinnabar comes from mineral collecting and pigments, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen or by the tonne.
Durability and care
Cinnabar is 2–2.5 on the Mohs scale, with perfect prismatic {1010} cleavage.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What cinnabar costs
As a guide, cinnabar trades around Specimens $40–$10,000; fine Chinese crystals on dolomite $200–$5,000.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is cinnabar treated, and how?
Untreated, but this is a mercury sulphide: it is toxic, must never be ground, licked or worn against skin, and 'cinnabar' lacquerware carvings contain no mineral at all — they are layered tinted lacquer, and modern ones use synthetic pigment. Genuine cinnabar has the highest refractive index of any mineral in common collections.
Where does cinnabar come from?
Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain, Wanshan and Tongren, Guizhou, China, Nikitovka, Ukraine, Idrija, Slovenia and New Idria, California, USA. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is cinnabar hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 2–2.5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does cinnabar cost?
Indicatively Specimens $40–$10,000; fine Chinese crystals on dolomite $200–$5,000. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is cinnabar confused with?
Most often Cinnabar lacquerware (no mineral), Realgar, Cuprite, Proustite and Crocoite. A refractive index of 2.905–3.256 and a specific gravity near 8.1 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for cinnabar?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about cinnabar