For as important as rare earth metals are to the tech world it becomes a challenge to discuss them individually without repeating yourself. If you are browsing the pages of Luciteria you probably already know that all of these are lumped into the same class because their chemical behavior is very similar (and likewise are always found in nature mixed up together). An interesting note regarding terbium in particular is that in 2021 its price for the first time ever became the most expensive in the group; eclipsing long-time record holder lutetium (and not counting scandium which is often roped into the REE family).

With few exceptions these metals all trade in a more or less predictable price range but terbium is the outlier. Its price has more than doubled in the last five years and the reasons for once don’t seem to be tied purely to demand. Yes, demand for it has been growing due to its being a key component in the advanced magnets that power electric vehicles - an industry which is obviously growing very quickly - but more than that there are hints that the Chinese, sole commercial refiners worldwide, are singling it out for stockpiling. What do they know that the rest of the world doesn’t?

Maybe that makes this one attractive as an investment.

Measures 5x8x1.07mm