As chemistry textbooks tend to point out, although its place on the periodic table suggests otherwise, scandium really does belong with the rare earths for the many similarities it shares with that series. In nature they’re almost inextricably linked because of their chemical affinity towards each other. They have similar metallurgical properties and they share a visual kinship too.

Luckily, that visual kinship happens to be quite handsome. When very pure, scandium’s atoms interlink in a twisty lattice to form tendrils. The size and shape of the mold wherein it forms will dictate what its crystals will look like as the structure forms. Sometimes it will be tufts like fossilized hair curls and other times, such as in this case, into fur-like sheets - and always distinctly yellow.

Scandium is expensive because of its natural and commercial rarity but its relatively low density works in our favor as relatively large pieces can be selected without pricing it out of reach of most collectors. You can be sure that the most “showy” of these samples are earmarked for the domes as the ultimate representative of this fascinating element.