Rare Earth Elements
Prospecting For Rare Earth Elements has proven to be more challenging than conventional Gold or base metal prospecting. One of the primary reasons being is Field Identification. Rare earth elements typically form exotic minerals which are either confused with other minerals or express rock like textures, easily overlooked. Scandium for example is a Soft silvery mineraly in pure form. It can develop a pinkish or yellow cast on it when exposed to oxygen. There are only a few minerals that contain Scandium in economical amounts. The mineral Thortveitite can contain up to 45% scandium in the form of Scandium tri-oxide. A picture of Thortveitite is provided to your right. You can see how this mineral could be easily overlooked in the field and this is just the first of many like it.
