Details
Generally occurring as a vein-filling mineral in association with alkaline hot springs and recent volcanic activity, cinnabar is found in Spain, the Philippines, Egypt, Italy, Serbia, Peru, and China. In the United States, it is found in California, Arkansas, Nevada, Alaska and Texas. Being the common ore of mercury, it is found in all localities yielding mercury. Mined back to the Neolithic Age, it has been the primary source of mercury for centuries. It was also prized as a pigment during the Roman Empire. To human beings, it is known for being a potentially toxic substance. An owner of a mineral specimen of cinnabar should always wash his or her hands immediately after handling the specimen. Its chemical composition is mercury sulfide, and it ranges from bright scarlet to brick red to brown or even lead gray in color. It exhibits a brittle tenacity, an adamantine to dull luster and is transparent in thin pieces. It has a trigonal crystal system with distinctive twinning, and falls at 2-2.5 on Moh's Scale for hardness. Cinnabar has perfect cleavage in three directions.
Cinnabar has been referred to as the “merchant's stone,” as it is claimed to create wealth and bring dreams into manifestation. It may be worth wearing or carrying with you if you are a business owner or down on your luck. If you make your living as a salesperson, try carrying some cinnabar in your pocket while you are on the job. You may just find that you are more assertive and persuasive than you were in the past. Cinnabar brings more than material wealth into manifestation; it is also said to manifest one's spiritual energy and sharpen spiritual perception, which may stimulate a significant psychic transformation. Some people have even gone so far as to say that cinnabar has bestowed upon them shape shifting abilities. Additional benefits of carrying this mineral on your person could possibly include general but subtle influence on situations in favor of all parties involved, understanding and acceptance of the undercurrents within a scenario and any outcomes that may have to be considered, and increased mental fluidity, sense of direction in life, and ability to easily come to agreements. If you need to turn your life around and lack support, or if you need a stroke of luck, this just may be the mineral for you to try out.
Aside from the metaphysical benefits mentioned above, cinnabar is also claimed to provide physical healing benefits, so it could potentially turn multiple aspects of someone's life around. It has been used by crystal healers to purify and heal blood, treat viral and fungal infections, impart flexibility and strength to the body, enhance fertility for those experiencing difficulty in procreation, improve energy flow within the hands and the back of the neck, and promote healthy functioning of the stomach, pelvis area, and prostate gland. It may also provide much needed support in an exercise regimen, promoting fitness, weight stabilization and longevity.