Cinnabar with the deadly toxin. Cinnabar Cinnabar () and cinnabarite (), likely deriving from the ("kinnabari"), refer to the common bright scarlet to brick-red form of mercury(II) sulfide (HgS) that is the most common source ore for refining elemental mercury, and is the historic source for the brilliant red or scarlet pigment termed vermilion and associated red mercury pigments. Cinnabar generally occurs as a vein-filling mineral associated with recent volcanic activity and alkaline hot springs. The mineral resembles quartz in symmetry and in its exhibiting birefringence; cinnabar has a mean refractive index of approximately 3.2, a hardness between 2.0 and 2.5,
Ore Mountains 2007 the Ore Mountains and West Saxony is the most important Saxon holiday destination after the cities, and tourism is an important economic factor in the region. Since 2004 the Ore Mountain Tourist Association ("Tourismusverband Erzgebirge") has offered the Ore Mountain Card ("ErzgebirgsCard") with which over 100 museums, castles, heritage railways and other sights may be visited free of charge. The culture of the Ore Mountains was shaped mainly by mining that goes back to the Middle Ages. The old saying, coined here, that "everything comes from the mine" ("Alles kommt vom Bergwerk her!") refers to many areas of life