Judging quality
Bright orange-red, very soft, resinous. Over time light converts it to yellow powdery pararealgar — a specimen going dull and orange-yellow is decaying, not dirty.
Sulfide
Realgar
Arsenic sulfide in a translucent orange-red that looks like carved candy. Chinese crystals from Shimen are the finest ever found and are stored in the dark to preserve them.
Care
Toxic arsenic mineral and light-sensitive. Keep in a dark closed box, do not handle wet, wash hands after contact.
History & lore
Its name comes from the Arabic rahj al-ghar, powder of the mine; it was used as a pigment and, disastrously, as a medicine.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Realgar
- What is Realgar?
- Arsenic sulfide in a translucent orange-red that looks like carved candy. Chinese crystals from Shimen are the finest ever found and are stored in the dark to preserve them.
- How hard is Realgar and what is it made of?
- Realgar is a Sulfide-family mineral with the composition As4S4. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and rates 1.5-2 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in red, orange.
- Where does Realgar come from?
- Notable localities for Realgar include Hunan, China, Romania (Baia Sprie), Nevada, USA, Peru.
- How do you tell good Realgar from filler?
- Bright orange-red, very soft, resinous. Over time light converts it to yellow powdery pararealgar — a specimen going dull and orange-yellow is decaying, not dirty.
- How do you care for Realgar?
- Toxic arsenic mineral and light-sensitive. Keep in a dark closed box, do not handle wet, wash hands after contact.
Related stones
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.