Mercury, Cinnabar

72.0 x 52.0 x 41.0 mm overall. An extremely rich specimen liberally covered with shiny silvery globules or drops of native Mercury (quicksilver) on a Cinnabar-rich matrix. Mercury is the only recognised mineral that is found as a liquid at room temperature. Cinnabar alters to native mercury in the oxidized zone of deposits. Native mercury is also quite rare. This specimen is from an uncommon California locality, the Socrates Mine. Very rare in specimen form and a very difficult element to obtain in its pure form for an elements suite in a collection.

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Photo added: 4th Dec 2011