Britannica Sources used in this answer

What colour is cinnabar?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Cinnabar is a red mercury sulfide (HgS) mineral. It is the principal ore of mercury and is characterized as a red crystalline solid.12

While the term "green cinnabar" exists, it does not refer to the mineral cinnabar; rather, it is a name used for certain green pigments composed of other substances, such as fired oxides of cobalt and zinc or a mixture of chrome yellow and Prussian blue.3