Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:39 pm Posts: 3528 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Hey, it contains yttrium as well as dysprosium, erbium, terbium, and ytterbium. Plus, it can be yellowish, brownish, reddish! Granted, I've never heard of a faceted example...
Well down HME, I thought that would be a difficult one...it is indeed bastnaesite (which is a major source of cerium)
This mineral can be confused with parisite and synchisite (two other orange rare earth carbonates), but these have a lower density.
I think bastnasite also exists in some 'grassy' green color which I like a lot too.
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:51 pm Posts: 481 Location: Las Cruces, NM
Thank you Princess MoDo.
In good gemologist form, I gathered my tools, carefully observed the facts, recorded details, and then decided that it just looked a lot like bastnaesite.
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