Hobbies And Interests
Vermillion
Vermillion, also known as cinnabar, hails from Asia -- with China accounting for the largest deposits of the stone. A composite of mercury and sulfur, the crystallized stone is often found in clusters. It has a unique shape, with six ridges that surround a pyramid point. Since the 16th century the semi-precious stone has been ground into a powder and used to create pigments -- from watercolor paints to cosmetics. Currently, it is still used by married Hindu women, to paint the center part in their hair and dot their foreheads.
Meta-cinnabar
A darker version of vermillion, meta-cinnabar is identified by its dark gray and sometimes bluish hue. The formation of the crystal is similar to the red cinnabar, with a triangular nucleus surrounded by angular ridges. The opaque precious stone is often mined in places like Italy, Romania and California and are valued for its magnetism and ability to carry an electric charge. For this reason meta-cinnabar is being developed as an insulator and conductor for electronic devices.
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is usually a white crystallized substance comprised mostly of aluminum and silicon. However, there are deposits of the semi-precious stone that have mercury, giving it a blood red color that rivals vermillion. It is only available in small qualities, in places like the Philippines and Spain, thus the market price for the blood stone tends to be high. Often incorporated in jewelry and figurines, the dense crystal can be hard to carve, but is often valued for its rich color.
Dickite
Another form of blood stone is dickite, which is a white or grayish gemstone noted for its large granular crystals. Like kaolinite, some dickite deposits are high in mercury, which gives the stone its crimson color. Other visible minerals include quartz, iron and titanium, silvery elements that can also be visible in the stone's grain. Mined in Egypt, Asia and Peru, the stone is used for jewelry---often sculpted into pendants, beads and bracelets