Where are cinnabar deposits commonly found?

Cinnabar, the primary ore of mercury, is typically found in veins located near recent volcanic rocks and within hot-springs deposits. While the mineral has been discovered on every continent except Antarctica and occurs in various rock types and ages, it is frequently associated with pyrite, marcasite, and stibnite.12

Significant commercial deposits have historically been mined in several locations, including:

• Almadén, Spain12
• Idrija, Slovenia2
• Monte Amiata, Italy2
• Huancavelica, Peru12
• The Coast Ranges of California, U.S.12

Because these deposits are generally small and irregular, they are typically extracted through underground mining rather than large-scale, highly mechanized methods.3