When fall approaches I think warm thoughts like hot apple cider and cinnamon, pumpkin pie with cinnamon and cinnamon rolls:) So, I decided that Cinnabar just feels appropriate for this week gem of the week. Cinnabar usually comes in vermilion red, or brownish hue if the the gem is not pure. The name comes from the Greek – “kinnabari.” In Latin it was sometimes known as minium, meaning also “red lead”, though both of these terms now refer uniquely to lead tetroxide. Cinnabar is similar to the gem, Quartz which we have reviewed before.
Interesting fact: The most popularly known use of cinnabar is in Chinese carved lacquerware, a technique that apparently originated in the Song Dynasty.
Who this stone is made for: I keep sharing who stones are best for since it is the holiday season and people are wanting to be creative with their gifts. This stone is best for creative people as well as business owners (who have to be creative to keep their business going:).
This stone works best with: Zincite, Red Garnet, Cuprite, Carnelian, and Black Tourmaline.
Cinnabar is vermillion red, by definition. If the cinnabar looks brownish, that is due to age not impurities. I don’t know what reaction occurs, but the color change is due to the exposure of the carved cinnabar lacquer to sunlight. Cinnabar is not lead tetroxide or any lead sompound, only murcury ore, red mercury(II) sulfide (HgS).
Yours,
Erich