Cinnabar Identification // Don't Lick This Rock! 

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I can imagine those crystals precipitating on the walls of a volcanic vent that's emitting a nice sulfurous mixture of gases. They're really cool specimens, really beautiful deep red crystals amid the other colorful minerals. Thanks for the identification lesson!

I like that you're wearing gloves from the get go. Loved seeing the crystals through the loupe. Did I miss if there was a location given for this material? Good video.

🇨🇦 Cinnabar was used to make an orangey red pigment to make paint for illumination in books in the middle ages. Cinnabar at that time was so expensive that it was only used to paint important people like kings or religious icons. Later, meaning pre renaissance, it was manufactured by putting mercury and sulfur into a sealed jug then heated until it exploded inside the jug fusing the mercury and sulfur molecules to make the same pigment. Kind of scary huh? The information this is in the book called On Diverse Arts it is a translation of a medieval treatise. Could the matrix be sulfur bearing rock? I know, I have some of the strangest knowledge of some of the oddest things. If I can remember all of this why can't I remember half of the darn names of rocks 😏😜😁 Oh yeah, I did not know cinnabar could come in crystal form. Thank you for sharing this. If the lady does not want the rocks back and you do not need them can you send them to me c.o.d.and I will make a video of making pigment from them? This would be a great kick off for the RU-vid channel I am hoping to do. 😁

Before you ID the specimen, choices without a microscopic crystal system ID could have been cinnabar (hexagonal-trigonal) or realgar which has a monoclinic system . Wondering the source of the sample. Really nice realgar crystals used to be found in the Green River gorge but probably long picked over and probably on private property. Fun informative video as usual---- also, don't lick the gloves either.

Crazy material! Reminds me of this great movie theatre by my house that we don't get to go to anymore, Cinnebarre. They serve adult beverages and have decent food.

Beautiful rock. I love the color combinations. I agree with Gwynn Farrell...easy to imagine those minerals in a Yellowstone stew pot.

Very nice Cinnabar it is. It started to look like some poor crocoite crystals, that we have here in Tassie Australia.

I sent a bit of this rock in the mail to Rock and Roll in Canada. Before I knew it had mercury. It was denied and sent back. Countries are very particular about mercury. Anyway, lesson learned about customs rules. Pretty sure this was found in Washington State by the friend who gave it to me.

Thanks for the visual. Be safe and stay healthy 😷⚒

Hello CR, I'm always learning from your channel. Very interesting material. The music selection for the slide show is just so nice. How is it that all of the rockhounds have such soothing music for their videos? Thanks for sharing another great video.

I definitely agree that it looks like Cinnabar. Glad your wearing gloves to handle it, to be on the safe side remember to wash the magnifying glass and table top. Thanks for sharing man.

Looks exactly like the material we find down in the Green River Gorge.

Very interesting, thanks for the information and identifying it.

Hi Jered, I'm probably the reason why Karen sent that to you. We did a rock trade, I live in Canada and her parcel never made it to me probably because of the Cinnabar in it. She mentioned that it could be, when she mailed it, but wasn't sure. Thx to you, we now know. I did get her second batch and am really enjoying what she sent me. I love your videos. Very educational and informative, and I also love the locations you go to. Beautiful country! Keep up the great work!! Thx. Ric

I found stuff that looked like this in Rosamond, CA. I wanted to polish it up but thank goodness I decided not to. Some of it is crumbly and vibrant orange/red-like realgar. Other unidentified specimens I found are a deep wine color with a slight sheen and a less crumbly texture.

FascInating, thankyou. I have found rusty, dusty ,stuff with those little red crystals in it and had no idea that it could pose any kind of hazard because as you said, I thought its only a rock, right? Now I will be more conscious and cautious when touching random pretty sparkly rocks. Cheers

We had a Cinnabar mine on the ranch I lived on in eastern Oregon...

Even though cinnabar has a delicious sounding name kind of like a cinnamon bun, it is definitely one rock you probably shouldn't put in your mouth.

That was very helpful, especially to know what to look for with dangerous substances.

I looked up this video because I was hiking near the New Almaden mine and came across a pile of tailings. There was some very interesting-looking rock in them. Red, orange, gray, black, white, and light green.

I got fifteen cinnabar mines within sight of my house, the roads are graveled with it out here, im in the heart of cinnabar country, looks like the same stuff to me, there's huge old mines every where around me.

Assuredly cinnabar. I have some very much like that from the Terlingua Mining District, Brewster County, Texas.

I could always pull the mercury outta this but im not that crazzy there are some things i just will not work with.

From wiki. Lick of it will lick your life short....Cinnabar (otherwise known as mercury sulphide) is the single most toxic mineral known to man. ... The problem with Cinnabar, is when oxidized it produces methyl and dimethy mercury, two toxic compounds that cause terminal damage to the nervous system.Oct 5, 2014

I loved the lesson for today

that would be my guess/estimate also, with out sending to a lab to have it positively tested and identified

i found that near the crater of diamonds park on a road cut.

It's like a cube that went "Eehhrnt" like that.

Subbed great educational content thanks for what your doing for us friend

Thank you 🙏 ❤

I like your description of the drunk cube haha

I see why people would lick this rock, they think it will taste like cinnamon hence the name cinna-bar!

Thank you for the information on this stone 😊💙, definitely don’t want to lick this rock , 💙😊

Dangerous stuff. Ware are the lickers lol. Realy cool man

I was told you can do a simple flame retort to cinnibar ( in a well ventalated area) and if theres enough of it you should start to see little beads of mercury pop up. True?

Heat it with a Mapp gas or propane torch and some mercury should come out

Very informative just found your channel.

Cinnabar! You are lucky man. I still have no clue if any of my possible specimens are cinnabar. They are packed away at the moment.

i recently bought "cinnabar" pendants from a local store, theyre bright red and i guess u could say polished? im just finding out its toxic so im not sure if it still applies in its current form? 😭 (since its not really raw) plz help

forbidden spice

Thanks for the informative vid. Nice work. Havagudun Jared.

how much does ore of cinnabar sell for these days?

Interesting rock!

So beautiful my friend!! Nice video 👍👍

Well my guess was right.👍. Very toxic can cause major neurological damage and chromosomal damage. DON’T LICK is right.

lupa 🔎

I never put rocks in my mouth

Just just watch mine video on cinnabar Stone. Very porous material.