Rarth elements or rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements

in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium.[2] Scandium and yttrium are considered rare earth elements since they tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanides and exhibit similar chemical properties.


Virtually every technologial product of modern Union society needs Rare Earth minerals. Thus mining and trade of these materials are very important and highly profitable.

Little Plastic Sacks filled with a set weight (or pressed into coins and coated with plastic) of Terbium or Samarium are a readily accepted form of payment everywhere in the known Universe.

Z Symbol Name Etymology Selected applications
21 Sc Scandium from Latin Scandia (Scandinavia), where the first rare earth ore was discovered. Light aluminium-scandium alloy for aerospace components, additive in Mercury-vapor lamps.[4]
39 Y Yttrium for the village of Ytterby, Sweden, where the first rare earth ore was discovered. Yttrium-aluminum garnet (YAG) laser, yttrium vanadate (YVO4) as host for europium in TV red phosphor YBCO high-temperature superconductors, yttrium iron garnet (YIG) microwave filters.[4]
57 La Lanthanum from the Greek "lanthanein", meaning to be hidden. High refractive index glass, flint, hydrogen storage, battery-electrodes, camera lenses, fluid catalytic cracking catalyst for oil refineries
58 Ce Cerium for the dwarf planet Ceres. Chemical oxidizing agent, polishing powder, yellow colors in glass and ceramics, catalyst for self-cleaning ovens, fluid catalytic cracking catalyst for oil refineries, ferrocerium flints for lighters
61 Pm Promethium for the Titan Prometheus, who brought fire to mortals. Nuclear batteries
62 Sm Samarium for Vasili Samarsky-Bykhovets, who discovered the rare earth ore samarskite. Rare-earth magnets, lasers, neutron capture, masers
63 Eu Europium for the continent of Europe. Red and blue phosphors, lasers, mercury-vapor lamps, NMR relaxation agent
64 Gd Gadolinium for Johan Gadolin (1760–1852), to honor his investigation of rare earths. Rare-earth magnets, high refractive index glass or garnets, lasers, X-ray tubes, computer memories, neutron capture, MRI contrast agent, NMR relaxation agent
65 Tb Terbium for the village of Ytterby, Sweden. Green phosphors, lasers, fluorescent lamps
66 Dy Dysprosium from the Greek "dysprositos", meaning hard to get. Rare-earth magnets, lasers
68 Er Erbium for the village of Ytterby, Sweden. Lasers, vanadium steel
69 Tm Thulium for the mythological northern land of Thule. Portable X-ray machines
70 Yb Ytterbium for the village of Ytterby, Sweden. Infrared lasers, chemical reducing agent
71 Lu Lutetium for Lutetia, the city which later became Paris. PET Scan detectors, high refractive index glass