Metacinnabar
| Metacinnabar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | |
| Category | Sulfide mineral |
| Formula | HgS |
| IMA symbol | Mcin[1] |
| Strunz classification | 2.CB.05a |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
| Crystal class | Hextetrahedral (4 3m) |
| Space group | F4 3m |
| Unit cell | a=5.8717(5) Å; Z=4 |
| Structure | |
| Jmol (3D) | Interactive image |
| Identification | |
| Color | Grayish black |
| Crystal habit | Massive, rarely as tetrahedral crystals, as incrustations |
| Twinning | Common as lamellae on {111} |
| Cleavage | None |
| Fracture | Subconchoidal |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 3 |
| Luster | Metallic |
| Streak | Black |
| Diaphaneity | Opaque |
| Specific gravity | 7.7–7.8 |
| References | [2][3][4] |
Metacinnabar is the cubic form of mercury sulfide (HgS). It is the high temperature form and trimorphous with cinnabar (trigonal structure) and the higher temperature hypercinnabar (hexagonal structure).[5] It occurs with cinnabar in mercury deposits and is associated with native mercury, wurtzite, stibnite, marcasite, realgar, calcite, barite, chalcedony and hydrocarbons.[2]
It was first described in 1870 for an occurrence in the Redington mine, Knoxville, Napa County, California.[3][4]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Metacinnabar.
- ↑ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- 1 2 Metacinnabar in the Handbook of Mineralogy
- 1 2 "Metacinnabar". mindat.org.
- 1 2 Metacinnabar, WebMineral.com
- ↑ "Hypercinnabar". mindat.org.
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