Metacinnabar Mineral Data

General Metacinnabar Information

Chemical Formula:

HgS

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 232.66 gm

Mercury 86.22 % Hg

Sulfur 13.78 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

HgS

Environment:

Found with cinnabar in mercury deposits formed in near-surface, under low-temperature conditions.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1870

Locality:

Redington mine, Knoxville, Hapa Co., California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek meta and cinnabar (similar chemical composition and association with cinnabar).

Name Pronunciation:

Metacinnabar + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Guadalcazarite(Zn)

ICSD 24094

Kittlite - Se-bearing metacinnabar

Onofrite(Se)

PDF 6-261

Saukovite(Cd)

Metacinnabar Image

Images:

Metacinnabar

Comments: Spherical metacinnabar crystals on quartz.
Location: Mt. Diablo mine, Contra Costa County, California, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Metacinnabar Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.853, Z = 4; V = 200.51 Den(Calc)= 7.71

Crystal System:

Isometric - HextetrahedralH-M Symbol (4 3m) Space Group: F43m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.38(1), 2.068(0.55), 1.7644(0.45),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 1 1) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 1 2) ( 0 0 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Wyckoff R W G , Crystal Structures , 1 (1963) p.85-237, Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York, Note: ZnS structure, sphalerite structure

Physical Properties of Metacinnabar

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Black, Gray black.

Density:

7.7 - 7.8, Average = 7.75

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

black

Optical Properties of Metacinnabar

RL Anisotrophism:

Very weak, occasionally.

RL Color:

Grayish white.

RL Pleochroism:

Weak, occasionally.

Calculated Properties of Metacinnabar

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=6.36 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Metacinnabar =7.71 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.26
Boson Index = 0.74

Photoelectric:

PE_Metacinnabar=1,479.61 barns/electron
U=PE_Metacinnabar x rElectron Density=9,414.31 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Metacinnabar is Not Radioactive

Metacinnabar Classification

Dana Class:

02.08.02.03 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(02.08)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=1:1

(02.08.02)Sphalerite Group (Isometric: F4-3m)

02.08.02.01 Sphalerite (Zn,Fe)S F43m 4 3m

02.08.02.02 Stilleite ZnSe F43m 4 3m

02.08.02.03 Metacinnabar HgS F43m 4 3m

02.08.02.04 Tiemannite HgSe F43m 4 3m

02.08.02.05 Coloradoite HgTe F43m 4 3m

02.08.02.06 Hawleyite CdS F43m 4 3m

02.08.02.07 Rudashevskyite! (Fe,Zn)S F43m 4 3m

Strunz Class:

02.CB.05a 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.C - Metal Sulfides, M:S = 1:1 (and similar)

02.CB -With Zn, Fe, Cu, Ag, Au, etc

02.CB.05a Hawleyite CdS F43m 4 3m

02.CB.05a Coloradoite HgTe F43m 4 3m

02.CB.05a Metacinnabar HgS F43m 4 3m

02.CB.05a Sphalerite (Zn,Fe)S F43m 4 3m

02.CB.05a Tiemannite HgSe F43m 4 3m

02.CB.05a Stilleite ZnSe F43m 4 3m

02.CB.05a Rudashevskyite! (Fe,Zn)S F43m 4 3m

Other Metacinnabar Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Metacinnabar :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
8 - MinDAT
9 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
10 - Online Mineral Museum
11 - QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Ruff.Info
13 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Metacinnabar Specimen Label here :

Metacinnabar

HgS
Dana No: 02.08.02.03 Strunz No: 02.CB.05a
Locality:

Notes: