Bastnäsite

Bastnasite is a rare carbonate-fluoride mineral, best known as a primary source of rare earth elements, including cerium, lanthanum, and yttrium. For collectors, it is admired for its warm, honey-brown to reddish hues and its sharp, tabular crystals, which often display brilliant vitreous luster. Well-formed crystals are uncommon, making fine specimens highly sought after in the mineral world. The most celebrated deposits are located in the famous Zagi Mountain of Pakistan, which has produced superb, sharp bastnäsite crystals often associated with aegirine and riebeckite in quartz. Striking specimens are also known from the surrounding pegmatites and alpine-type environments of the Zagi Mountain region. Beyond Pakistan, noteworthy localities include China, Greenland, and the United States (notably Mountain Pass, California), each producing distinctive habits and colors of this rare mineral. Prized for both its rarity and its scientific importance, bastnäsite occupies a special place in advanced mineral collections. Crystals from Pakistan, in particular, are regarded among the finest, combining excellent size, luster, and sharpness with remarkable mineral associations that make them stand out worldwide.