There exists an inherent fascination with rare earth elements and rare earth metals, perhaps based on their exotic names, their designations as “rare” or even the time and manner in which they were discovered. One of the last of the group to be identified is the chemical element ytterbium, named after a Swedish village (Ytterby) located close to the place it was discovered by a Swiss chemist in the year 1878. There are 17 rare earth elements, and 16 rare earth metals, though many are not nearly as scarce as their title implies. The rare earth element cerium, for example, is about as common as copper.
