The New Student's Reference Work/Vermilion

Vermil′ion, a bright scarlet color which is obtained from a native ore called cinnabar, or is made artificially from mercury and sulphur. This compound, sulphide of mercury, is thrown into tall, earthen pots, and the lower parts kept red-hot. The substance volatilizes and coats the pots with cinnabar. The pots are broken and the cinnabar scraped off, ground and dried, when it is ready for use as vermilion. Cinnabar, the ore from which vermilion is obtained, is a compound of sulphur and mercury, of a blood-red color. It is simply ground fine, and then known as vermilion. The most important mines are those of Almaden in Spain, which have been worked for 3,000 years, and of New Almaden in California. There are mines in Brazil, Peru, Austria, Hungary, China and Japan.