Cinnabar

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Guangxi.

Trigonal system. Granular or aggregate lumps, granules or flakes. Fresh red or dark red, streak mark is red to brownish-red, lustrous. Parallel complete cleavage. Fracture is semi-shell-like or uneven. Hardness 2~2.5. Density is 8.09~8.2. Heavy in weight, brittle texture, flakes are easily broken, powder is shiny and lustrous, faint odor. Diamond, semi-metallic, dark pale luster. Sometimes presents as tiny granules or powder, bright red, not staining to the hand, also called ‘zhu bao sha’; irregular flakes, angled cubic or long strips, with uneven sizes, uneven edges, fresh red color, shiny like a mirror and transparent, relatively loose and brittle texture, also called ‘jing mian sha’; relatively large cube, square or polygonal shape, dark or grayish-brown color, heavy and firm texture, hard to crush, also called ‘dou ban sha’.

Superior medicinal material has fresh red color, with luster, heavy body, brittle texture.

Sweet, slightly cold, little toxic

Clears heat, calms fright, calms spirit, resolves toxin. Apply to fright, insomnia with nightmares, convulsion, infantile convulsion, blur vision, mouth sore, throat impediment, swelling toxin of sore and ulcer.