Cinnabar mineral specimens

Cinnabar mineral specimens

Cinnabar specimens from Almaden, Spain. Cinnabar is a toxic mineral and should be handled carefully.

Why is it toxic? Well, Cinnabar is one of the main ores of Mercury. It was used as a pigment since antiquity around the world, including by the ancient Romans, Yangshao peoples of China, and the Olmec peoples of Mexico.

It is often a massive, earthy, or granular mineral which typically occurs in a brick-red to scarlet-red colour.

These specimens will be supplied bagged and should then ideally be transferred to a display box out of reach of pets and children.