Cinnabar

Unknown Owner

Crikey, what an absolute stunner of a Cinnabar, and Quartz! Small sparkling and gemmy Quartz crystals delightfully coat all faces of a cross-branching Quartz vein rib, a beautiful specimen in its own right. But just for good measure, several magnificent Cinnabar crystals have grown on one side, the largest being a delightfully complex twinned crystal of an overall length of 2 cm. This is multi-twinned forming a three-fold “sixling” stellate twin, best seen from end-on. This large miniature is from the Fengjiashan mine in Hubei Province in far eastern China. All the Cinnabar crystals have a fabulous metallic reddish-silver patina with a dazzling metallic lustre. Remember to always wash your hands after handling Cinnabar as it is mercury sulphide.