Tysonite

Tysonite is a mineral officially known as parisite-(Ce). It belongs to the parisite group of minerals, which are rare earth carbonates. The mineral was first described in 1845 and named after scientist John Tyson, who discovered it in a locality in the United States. However, the mineral has since been found in various other locations around the world, including Norway, Myanmar, and China.

Tysonite typically occurs as small, prismatic crystals. Its color can vary, commonly appearing as yellow, brown, or reddish-brown. It is often found in association with other rare earth minerals and is typically found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. The chemical formula for tysonite is Ca(Ce,La,Nd)2(CO3)3F. The “(Ce)” in its official name indicates that cerium is the dominant rare earth element within the mineral.

Due to its rarity and the fact that it often contains significant amounts of rare earth elements like cerium, neodymium, and lanthanum, tysonite has some interest in mineralogy and rare earth element research. However, it is not considered an economically important ore mineral due to its scarcity and the presence of more abundant sources of these elements. It is primarily of interest to mineral collectors and geologists studying rare earth mineralization.