Rare earth minerals are natural minerals that contain one or more of the “rare earth elements” — a group of 17 metallic elements (the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium).

What they are

  • Rare earth minerals are rocks or mineral phases in which rare earth elements make up a major part of the metallic content.
  • The rare earth elements themselves are 17 metals: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, plus scandium and yttrium.

Common rare earth minerals

Some of the best‑known minerals that host rare earth elements include:

  • Monazite – a phosphate mineral rich in cerium, lanthanum, neodymium and other light rare earths.
  • Bastnäsite – a carbonate-fluoride mineral that is a major ore of cerium, lanthanum and neodymium.
  • Xenotime – a phosphate mineral typically rich in yttrium and heavy rare earths.
  • Allanite and gadolinite – silicate minerals that can contain significant amounts of cerium, yttrium and other rare earths.

Why they matter today

  • Rare earth minerals are crucial sources for elements used in high‑strength permanent magnets, which go into electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, and military systems.
  • Because modern clean energy and digital tech rely on them, they are often discussed in the context of “critical materials” and geopolitical supply chains.

Are they really “rare”?

  • The elements in rare earth minerals are actually fairly common in the Earth’s crust; they are called “rare” because they seldom occur in concentrated, mineable deposits.
  • Economically viable rare earth mineral deposits are limited and unevenly distributed globally, which is why they are strategically important.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.