This page brings together a complete list of 16 minerals that start with the letter Y, ranging alphabetically from “Yttrialite” to “Yuanjiangite”. Most of these are rare and unusual species, and many carry rare-earth elements like yttrium, which gives the group its name. You’ll find everything from colorful collector’s stones to obscure metallic grains studied mainly in science. Their main uses include mineral collecting, research, and acting as minor sources of valuable elements like yttrium and tantalum.
Minerals are naturally occurring solid substances with a specific chemical makeup and an orderly internal crystal structure. People have prized them for thousands of years, both as gemstones and as sources of metals that built entire industries. Some of the minerals here, like Yavapaiite and Yofortierite, are even named after the places where they were first discovered.
Below you’ll find the table with the Mineral and Description.
Mineral: This gives you the official name of each species, listed in alphabetical order so you can quickly scan, compare, and find the exact one you’re looking for.
Description: Here you get a short, plain-language summary of each mineral, covering its color, chemistry, where it forms, and what makes it interesting or useful.
Minerals
Mineral
Yttrialite
Yttrotantalite
Yttrocolumbite
Yttrocrasite
Yttrofluorite
Yugawaralite
Yoderite
Yavapaiite
Yixunite
Yofortierite
Yttrocerite
Yukonite
Yarrowite
Yttrotungstite
Yangite
Yuanjiangite
Descriptions
Yttrialite
A rare yttrium silicate mineral that often appears olive-green to brownish and is typically metamict due to radiation from its rare-earth content. It forms in granite pegmatites and is a minor source of yttrium.
Yttrotantalite
A black to brownish rare-earth tantalum oxide mineral found in granite pegmatites. It contains yttrium, tantalum, and niobium, and is one of the original minerals from which tantalum chemistry was studied.
Yttrocolumbite
A rare yttrium-bearing niobium oxide mineral, essentially the niobium-dominant counterpart of yttrotantalite. It occurs in pegmatites and is dark, dense, and often metamict.
Yttrocrasite
A rare brownish-black titanium-rich oxide mineral containing yttrium and other rare earths. It is typically metamict and is found in pegmatites, valued mainly by collectors.
Yttrofluorite
A variety of fluorite in which yttrium substitutes for some calcium, giving it distinctive properties. It usually appears violet to greenish and forms in granitic and pegmatitic environments.
Yugawaralite
A rare zeolite mineral, a hydrated calcium aluminosilicate, that forms colorless to white crystals. It was first found at the Yugawara hot springs in Japan and occurs in volcanic cavities.
Yoderite
A purple to violet aluminum silicate mineral found in metamorphosed rocks. It was named after petrologist Hatten Yoder and is prized by collectors for its rich color.
Yavapaiite
A rare potassium iron sulfate mineral that forms small pinkish crystals, often as a secondary mineral in arid mining districts. It was named after Yavapai County, Arizona.
Yixunite
A very rare platinum-indium alloy mineral occurring as tiny metallic grains. It belongs to a group of rare platinum-group element minerals studied mainly in scientific contexts.
Yofortierite
A rare pink to purplish manganese magnesium silicate of the palygorskite group. It forms fibrous masses in alkaline igneous rocks, notably at Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec.
Yttrocerite
A historic name for a violet, yttrium- and cerium-bearing variety of fluorite. It occurs in pegmatites and was an early-recognized source of rare-earth elements.
Yukonite
A rare brown calcium iron arsenate mineral that forms gel-like or earthy masses. It is a secondary mineral named after the Yukon region of Canada.
Yarrowite
A rare copper sulfide mineral with a metallic bluish appearance, related to other copper sulfides like covellite. It forms in oxidized portions of copper deposits.
Yttrotungstite
A rare yellow yttrium tungstate mineral that occurs as a secondary alteration product of tungsten ores. It forms tiny platy crystals in weathered deposits.
Yangite
A rare manganese-bearing silicate mineral that forms small crystals in metamorphosed manganese deposits. It is of interest mainly to mineral collectors and researchers.
Yuanjiangite
A very rare gold-tin alloy mineral occurring as minute metallic grains in ore deposits. It was named after a locality in China and is studied scientifically.
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