Myrickite

Myrickite is a local name used for a form of chalcedony with red inclusions of cinnabar.[1] It has a Mohs hardness of 7. Although similar in color, this material should not be confused with the stone from China referred to as "Chicken Blood", as that material is a cinnabar stained serpentine with a hardness of 2.5-4. Unique to the United States, Myrickite is found at only one location in any quantity. During the early 1950s, Myrickite had been found in small quantities at the Manhattan Mine,[2] located in Napa County, California, United States.

The name "Myrickite" is a lapidary term like "Montana Agate" or "Thunder Egg", not a mineral name. Myrickite is named after Francis Marion "Shady" Myrick who discovered it while prospecting in California's Death Valley in 1911.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Myrickite". mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  2. ^ Manhattan Mine
  3. ^ Myrickite Exhibit: Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals
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