Bayan Obo
Bayan Obo (白云鄂博), north of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, is the largest known rare-earth-element deposit on Earth and a giant iron–niobium–REE deposit. For collectors it is a celebrated source of alkaline-rock minerals — aegirine, riebeckite, and a long list of rare REE and niobium species — though access is restricted and specimens are scarce.
About Bayan Oboextended article
The world's largest rare-earth deposit
Bayan Obo is a giant iron–niobium–rare-earth-element (Fe–Nb–REE) deposit hosted in dolomitic carbonatite and alkaline rocks on the northern margin of the North China Craton. It holds a very large share of the world's known light-rare-earth reserves and has been mined for iron ore since the 1950s, with rare earths recovered as a co-product. The deposit was first reported in 1927.
Why it matters to collectors
The alkaline-carbonatite setting produces an unusually rich suite of minerals. Bayan Obo is the type locality for a number of rare REE, niobium, and barium species, and yields well-known collector minerals including aegirine, riebeckite, arfvedsonite, fluorite, fluorapatite, magnetite, hematite, bastnäsite, and monazite. Its mineralogical diversity makes it one of the most-studied localities in China.
Availability
Bayan Obo is a strategically important, security-controlled operation, so crystallized collector specimens rarely reach the open market. Pieces with documented Bayan Obo provenance are correspondingly prized, especially sharp aegirine and the rarer REE accessory minerals.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Bayan Obo?
Bayan Obo is a mineral locality in Inner Mongolia, China.
What minerals are found at Bayan Obo?
Minerals from Bayan Obo include Arfvedsonite, Bastnasite, Monazite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Hematite.
What is Bayan Obo known for?
Bayan Obo (白云鄂博), north of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, is the largest known rare-earth-element deposit on Earth and a giant iron–niobium–REE deposit. For collectors it is a celebrated source of alkaline-rock minerals — aegirine, riebeckite, a…
References & databases
Mindat.org is the world’s largest open mineralogy database.