Bastnäsite-(Ce)
Mineral Ce(CO3)F
Also called Bastnaesite
About it
Wax-yellow to reddish-brown hexagonal plates with a greasy shine. The main rare-earth ore at Mountain Pass, California, and Bayan Obo, China; named for Bastnäs, Sweden.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Carbonate (with fluoride), bastnäsite group
- Formula
- Ce(CO3)F
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 4–4.5
- Specific gravity
- 4.8–5.2
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy), greasy, pearly
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Colours
- wax yellow, reddish brown, tan, brown
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- poor prismatic, basal parting; uneven fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.