Cinabrio
Cinabrio is a mineral with formula HgS, in the Sulfuros group. This specimen comes from El Entredicho, Almadén, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
Description
Intense red cinnabar crystals with excellent terminations lining small cavities on ferruginous siliceous matrix. Outstanding adamantine lustre and classic Almadén aesthetics.
History of this specimen
Specimens like this stopped coming out in the late 1980s. They were preserved in private Spanish collections that recognized their historic value.
About the locality
The Almadén mine is the world's greatest historic mercury district. For more than two millennia it supplied mercury to Europe and, from the 16th century onwards, to the American silver industry through the amalgamation process. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Idrija.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0688
- Composition
- HgS
- Name
- Cinabrio
- Group
- Sulfuros
- Category
- Meritum Persé
- Matrix
- Ferruginosa
- Mine
- El Entredicho
- District / Municipality
- Almadén
- Province
- Ciudad Real
- Region
- Castilla-La Mancha
- Country
- España
- Size (cm)
- 6 x 5 x 4.5
- Weight
- 190.7 g
- Ex-collection
- Andrés Jiménez Shelly
- Etymology
- From the Arabic «zinjafr», itself derived from the Persian «zinjifrah», the historical origin of the name «cinnabar».
- Quality
- Top
- Value trend
- Al alza
Related specimens
- Abellaíta — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Acantita (Paramórfica tras Argentita) — Marruecos
- Aerenita — España
- Aerinita (fibrosa) — España
- Analcima — España