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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Unspecified-material term · Trade name: material identity unverified · Actual material to be verified
Zhusha Bead
Also known asCinnabar (conditional name)
Used as a Chinese bead-market name, zhusha does not by itself confirm cinnabar or HgS. It may contain mercury, so its composition and safety need professional review. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Zhusha Bead forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Zhusha BeadHow far lab testing can go
- Caring for and wearing Zhusha BeadDurability indicators and wearing advice
- Mohs hardness of Zhusha BeadEach value with its source and check date
- Zhusha Bead in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Name origin and history of Zhusha BeadWhere the name comes from; how people have used it
- Listing and disclosing Zhusha BeadThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Zhusha is a Chinese market bead name. The name by itself cannot establish that a bead is cinnabar (HgS), nor its HgS content, nor whether it is a natural mineral or a composite/synthetic product; composition testing is needed. As a mineral species, cinnabar (HgS) is a common ore of mercury: it is deposited in veins by low-temperature hydrothermal solutions and occurs in sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic host rocks. Mercury sulfide exists in three polymorphs (cinnabar, metacinnabar and hypercinnabar), and a synthetic version, vermilion, is made by combining mercury with sulfur; the name 'Zhusha' therefore cannot serve as proof of authenticity or natural origin.
Scope: Applies to distinguishing the market name 'Zhusha' from the mineral species cinnabar; not applicable to determining the composition, natural status, HgS content or value of a specific bead material from the name, and it does not constitute health or safety advice.
Sources G&G Fall 2022 · RRUFF Cinnabar
Where it forms
Cinnabar is present in sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic host rocks, and also in veins formed where low-temperature hydrothermal fluids deposited it.
Sources G&G Fall 2022 · RRUFF Cinnabar
How it forms, step by step
Low-temperature hydrothermal solutions migrate along veins.
Sources G&G Fall 2022 · RRUFF Cinnabar
Cinnabar (HgS) precipitates in veins and in various host rocks.
Sources G&G Fall 2022 · RRUFF Cinnabar
The actual composition of a 'Zhusha' bead (whether cinnabar, natural or synthetic/composite) must be separately tested.
Sources G&G Fall 2022 · RRUFF Cinnabar
Link to appearance
It appears red, but a red appearance cannot prove the bead is cinnabar, nor its natural origin or HgS content.
Sources RRUFF Cinnabar
Timescale
The cited sources give no absolute age or growth duration for Zhusha beads or cinnabar.
Sources G&G Fall 2022 · RRUFF Cinnabar
Related base materials
- Cinnabar (HgS): Mineral species the name may refer to; this must be confirmed by compositional testing and may not be equated directly from the name
Supporting findings
Cinnabar (HgS) is deposited in veins by low-temperature hydrothermal solutions, and it is found in sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic host rocks.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes natural formation of the cinnabar species; does not conclude that any 'Zhusha' bead is natural cinnabar.
Sources RRUFF Cinnabar
A synthetic form of cinnabar exists—vermilion, obtained by synthesizing mercury and sulfur—which has been known for several centuries.
Evidence grade AScope: Shows that a synthetic form exists, so natural origin cannot be inferred from the name 'Zhusha'.
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.
Asia
- Wanshan, Guizhou, China
Sources RRUFF Cinnabar
- Hunan, China
Sources RRUFF Cinnabar
Europe
- Almadén, Ciudad Real, Spain
Sources RRUFF Cinnabar
North America
- New Almaden, Santa Clara County, California, United States
Sources RRUFF Cinnabar
These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See how far testing can go on this page, the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Chinese trade name "zhusha" itself is not given in the cited sources. The etymology below belongs to the parent mineral cinnabar: the name goes back to Medieval Latin cinnabaris, itself traceable to Persian zinjifrah, which seems to have signified 'dragon's blood' — a nod to the red hue. This etymology belongs to the parent mineral, not to the trade name "zhusha".
Evidence grade BScope: The etymology explains only the origin of the name; it does not establish the material's composition, locality, naturalness, or treatment.
Sources RRUFF Cinnabar
Human use and museum objects
In China, cinnabar was used from the Shang and Zhou dynasties onward for strewing in grave burials and held an important place in alchemy and traditional medicine.
Evidence grade AScope: Cultural-use history; it is not a health-safety or medicinal recommendation.
Other research findings
'Zhusha' is a Chinese market bead name; the name alone cannot show that it is cinnabar (HgS), its HgS content, or that it is a natural mineral or a composite/synthetic product; composition testing is required.
Evidence grade CScope: A naming-boundary judgement; a low-confidence name from which no authenticity or composition conclusion may be drawn.
Cinnabar is essentially pure HgS and is trimorphous with metacinnabar and hypercinnabar.
Evidence grade BScope: Composition of the cinnabar species; whether a 'Zhusha' bead equals cinnabar still requires testing.
Sources RRUFF Cinnabar
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- 'Zhusha' is a market name with no authoritative mineralogical support for equating it with cinnabar; the evidence for it is rated no higher than C.
- The name cannot replace testing; it is not a health-safety recommendation (mercury-bearing materials are hazardous and must be handled per regulations and professional advice).
- No authoritative source on the formation of 'Zhusha' beads has been found; the cinnabar formation given comes from a parent-mineral source.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Cinnabar product (state the actual composition, the base material and the manufacturing process)
GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.1 c)
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
"Zhusha Bead (Chinese trade name; composition unverified; mercury-containing material possible)" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Composition or process must be stated.
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Cinnabar product (state the actual composition, the base material and the manufacturing process)" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Composition or process must be stated.
- Suggested listing name
- Cinnabar product (state the actual composition, the base material and the manufacturing process)
Care and wear
No institutional care guidance is registered for this material yet; below are its durability indicators and general guidance.
Durability and wearing
Numbers in curly braces, such as {111}, are crystallographic face symbols (Miller indices): each marks a set of crystal faces or cleavage planes. They are reproduced as written in the cited source.
Mohs hardness
2–2.5
Toughness
Slightly sectile
Cleavage
{1010} perfect
Daily wear
Hardness of only 2–2.5, a perfect cleavage and slightly sectile behaviour make it easily scratched or cut; its high specific gravity (about 8.18) makes it feel heavy, and as HgS it should be kept from heat—unsuitable for high-wear daily wear.
Care
No cleaning method is given in the source; wipe with a dry or barely damp soft cloth, avoid soaking, ultrasonic/steam cleaning, acids and high heat; being soft and mercury-bearing, avoid abrasion producing dust and wash hands afterwards.
General guidance: LumaLark's general guidance inferred from the material's properties (hardness, toughness, cleavage); not text from the cited source, and not a guarantee for any specific piece.
Scope: This field describes the material's general properties and is not a finished-product durability promise; it gives no warranty of any specific piece's durability or safety, and the durability of treated (filled, dyed, coated) or composite/assembled material must be assessed separately.
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Besides Zhusha Bead, the name register records "Cinnabar", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded.
Recommended listing nameThe suggested listing name for Zhusha Bead is Zhusha product (state the actual composition, base material and process); GB/T 16552—2017 does not list this name, and the base name must be determined by testing. Names in four languagesThe four-language names are the Simplified and Traditional Chinese names, English Zhusha Bead and a Japanese name glossed as a Chinese market name with material unidentified; GSJ (Japan) wording is not yet verified by this site, and the Japanese name shown is the entry's own. Institution usageThe entry's own English name, Zhusha Bead, carries a qualifier stripped from the headline name, meaning a Chinese market bead material whose composition is unverified and which may contain mercury; the FTC and CIBJO texts on file have no wording for this name (checked), and GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. Trade and mineralogical namesCinnabar is an English market name that applies only when testing confirms cinnabar, and it is matched to Zhusha Bead only after conditions are confirmed, based on an editorial ruling by this site (no clause cited); the related high-risk name is the Chinese term for cinnabar bracelets.
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (1) | ||||
| CinnabarEnglish | market name | matched only once the condition is confirmed | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited); Note: Related high-risk name “Cinnabar bracelets”. |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 「朱砂」ビーズ（中国市場名・材質未同定） (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
- basic name to be determined by testing (GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.1 c))
- Mineralogical name
- Chinese market bead name; it does not by itself establish cinnabar, HgS content, a natural mineral, or a composite product
- Trade names and synonyms
- Cinnabar (market name; conditional name)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 朱砂
- 繁體中文
- 硃砂
- English
- Zhusha Bead (Chinese trade name; composition unverified; mercury-containing material possible)
- 日本語
- 「朱砂」ビーズ（中国市場名・材質未同定）
Qualifiers stripped from the headline name
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Material identity unspecified
- Material domain
- Unspecified-material term
- Browsing family
- Bead-form and unidentified trade terms
- Identity tier
- Trade name: material identity unverified
- Mineral chemical class
- Mixed / composition-dependent
- Construction or treatment status
- Actual material to be verified
What it is and how it's identified
Zhusha (vermilion) is another name for the mineral cinnabar, as a journal paper states; cinnabar is a naturally formed red sulphide mineral composed mainly of mercury sulphide. The definition refers to the mineral cinnabar: cinnabar is soft and rarely made directly into jewellery, and what is on the market is mostly a mixture of cinnabar fragments or powder with a binder. Whether a Zhusha Bead sold under the name zhusha is actually cinnabar, a reconstituted product or an imitation can only be determined by testing. The paper's authors consider that zhusha can be used in place of the mineral name cinnabar when naming.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Definition
Material sold as Zhusha: a journal paper states that zhusha is another name for the mineral cinnabar, a naturally occurring red sulphide mineral whose main component is mercury sulphide (HgS).
Journal of Gems & Gemmology (Qiao et al., 2025)
- Qualification
This describes the mineral cinnabar. The same paper notes that cinnabar is soft and seldom used on its own in jewellery; most goods are cinnabar pieces or powder mixed with a binder. Whether a given piece sold under this name is cinnabar, a reconstructed product or an imitation takes testing; see the separation and criteria items on this page.
The authors accept the name as a substitute for cinnabar in naming.
Source & check 2026-09-29
- Source
- Qiao et al., “Identification and Nomenclature of Cinnabar and Its Imitation”, Journal of Gems & Gemmology 27(6) (2025): p. 53, Abstract; p. 54, Introduction; §3 Discussion, p. 59 (locator checked 2026-09-29)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-29
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Testing and market
The identification and distinctions for Zhusha Bead come from studies by Sun Lin et al. and Qiao Lei et al. Sun Lin et al. tested a material sold under the trade name zhusha as round-bead bracelets and carvings: vermilion in colour, composed mainly of dolomite and baryte with a large amount of organic matter, artificially pressed, with the vermilion colour coming from an organic dye, not a natural product; refractive index 1.56 (spot reading), relative density 2.24–2.25. These conclusions apply only to the material tested, not to everything sold as zhusha. The paper by Qiao Lei et al. distinguishes cinnabar, composite cinnabar, reconstituted cinnabar and imitation cinnabar: cinnabar consists mainly of mercury sulphide, dark red or bright red, with an adamantine lustre on polished surfaces and a characteristic infrared absorption peak at 343 cm⁻¹; composite cinnabar consists of cinnabar grains bound with a small amount of binder and still has an overall adamantine lustre; reconstituted cinnabar consists of cinnabar fragments or particles enclosed in a large amount of binder and has an overall resinous lustre; imitation cinnabar contains no cinnabar grains or is not mainly mercury sulphide, and only looks similar. The naming scheme proposed by Qiao Lei et al. comes from the authors of a journal paper and is paraphrased by this site; it is not national-standard text.
How far testing can go
Material sold as Zhusha — how far testing can go (separation): one vermilion material sold under this name as round-bead bracelets and carvings turned out to be mainly dolomite and barite with a large amount of organic matter, artificially pressed and coloured with an organic dye, not a natural product; refractive index 1.56 (spot reading), relative density 2.24–2.25.
Journal of Gems & Gemmology (Sun et al., 2014)
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
- Qualification
Applies only to the material this study tested, not to everything sold under this name.
Source & check 2026-09-29
- Source
- Sun et al., “Identification Characteristics of Gem Material Called ‘Cinnabar’ from Jewelry Market”, Journal of Gems and Gemmology 16(4) (2014): p. 54, Abstract (locator checked 2026-09-29)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-29
Material sold as Zhusha — criteria for distinction from other varieties: The paper separates four kinds: cinnabar (mainly HgS, dark red or vivid red, adamantine lustre on polished surfaces, characteristic infrared absorption at 343 cm⁻¹); composite cinnabar (cinnabar grains bonded with a little binder, still adamantine overall); reconstructed cinnabar (cinnabar pieces or fragments held in plenty of binder, resinous lustre overall); imitation cinnabar (no cinnabar grains or no HgS as main component, only a similar look).
Journal of Gems & Gemmology (Qiao et al., 2025)
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
- Qualification
This is a naming scheme proposed by the authors of a journal paper (paraphrased here), not the text of a national standard.
Source & check 2026-09-29
- Source
- Qiao et al., “Identification and Nomenclature of Cinnabar and Its Imitation”, Journal of Gems & Gemmology 27(6) (2025): p. 53, Abstract (locator checked 2026-09-29)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-29
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- Geological Survey of Japan, AIST (Japan). Mineral specimen m00382: Cinnabar.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
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| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Bead-form and unidentified trade terms | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Zhusha Bead entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.