Take a look at the smartphone in your hand or the laptop on your desk. Did you know that these devices would not function the same way without a group of metals that most people have never heard of? These are the rare earth elements — the silent enablers of the modern world.
They are present in the devices we use every day, in the renewable energy systems driving the green transition, and in the defence technologies that protect nations. Rare earths have become a buzzword lately, and several people have asked me: What exactly are they, and why are they important?
This article is an attempt to educate readers about what rare earth elements are, why they matter, where they are used, and why awareness of resource rights is essential for people who live above these hidden treasures.
What Are Rare Earth Elements?
Rare earth elements, or REEs, are a group of 17 metallic elements that include lanthanum, neodymium, samarium, europium, and dysprosium. Despite their name, they are not truly rare in nature like gold, but they are rarely found in rich, concentrated deposits that are easy to mine. They are widely scattered in low concentrations, which makes extraction expensive and refining technically complex and environmentally risky.
The term “rare earth” dates back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when chemists discovered these elements in unusual mineral “earths” that were hard to separate. Today, their rarity is linked to three factors:
- Low concentration in the Earth’s crust
- Complex and environmentally sensitive refining processes
- Production dominated by a few countries
China, for example, produces about 60% of the world’s rare earths and refines nearly 80%, giving it a strategic grip on global supply.
Why Rare Earths Matter
Although rare earths are used in very small quantities, they are essential to modern life. They are the hidden ingredients behind the devices, machines, and systems we rely on every day.
They:
- Make smartphone speakers vibrate and LED screens glow
- Stabilise hundreds of tiny capacitors in phones and thousands in laptops
- Power wind turbines and electric car motors with lightweight, high‑strength neodymium‑dysprosium magnets
- Enable critical medical technologies, including MRI machines, X‑ray imaging, and surgical lasers
- Support defence and aerospace systems, from advanced sensors and satellites to guided missiles
- Appear in everyday items like headphones, rechargeable batteries, and energy‑efficient lighting
From my own PhD research, I worked with neodymium‑doped materials to engineer capacitors, actuators, and sensors. Even a very small amount of neodymium — like a pinch of salt in food — transformed the material’s properties. It enhanced its stability, responsiveness, and energy storage capacity. This is why rare earths are vital in electronics: a few grams can completely change how a device performs.
How Rare Earths Are Refined?
As mentioned earlier, Rare earths are not found in pure, shiny nuggets. Instead, they occur as oxides or mixed minerals in rocks and clay. The refining process is long, complicated, and often messy:
1. Mining and Crushing
The ore is first dug from the earth and crushed into small pieces. This step alone does not give you rare earths in usable form.
2. Separation and Concentration
Because rare earths are usually mixed with many other minerals, the next step is to separate the useful minerals from unwanted material. This is done using techniques like flotation, gravity separation, or magnetic separation. At this stage, you may get a concentrated mineral powder, but it is still not ready for a smartphone or motor.
3. Chemical Processing
This is where the real work begins. Strong acids or alkalis are used to dissolve the rare earth minerals. Each rare earth element has slightly different chemical properties, so they must be separated through repeated steps of solvent extraction or ion exchange.
4. Purification and Oxide Production
After chemical separation, rare earths are often converted into oxides. These oxides are the purified powders that industries can finally use.
5. Metal Production
For many applications, like magnets or batteries, even oxides are not enough. They must be reduced to metals or alloys through smelting or electrolysis, which is energy intensive and requires careful handling to avoid pollution. So, just having the mineral is not enough.
Finding a mineral in the ground does not automatically translate into usable technology. A lump of monazite or bastnaesite is of no use to a wind turbine or smartphone until it is carefully refined. This is why countries with raw deposits often cannot benefit fully without refining facilities, because the real value lies in the complicated process of turning raw rock into high-purity metals.
Community Rights: Who Benefits?
Finally, the real question is whether their extraction will bring real and lasting benefits to the people who live above these resources.
In developed countries, the extraction and use of minerals, including rare earth elements, are usually tied to clear frameworks of responsibility and benefit‑sharing. Local communities are consulted before mining projects begin, and agreements often include:
- Royalties
- Community development funds
- Local employment and training commitments
Environmental protection is central to these operations. Mining companies must conduct environmental impact assessments, establish waste management systems, and involve local communities in monitoring water, soil, and air quality.
In places such as Canada and Australia, Indigenous or local communities often have the legal right to be consulted, and in some cases, to give or withhold consent.
The principle is clear:
If a mineral deposit lies beneath a community’s land, that community has the first moral right to benefit from it.
However, in developing regions, the reality is very different. Resources are often extracted without meaningful consultation, and the people living above the minerals see little or no benefit. They are left only with environmental damage, lost livelihoods, and missed opportunities.