Monazite is a group of rare-earth phosphate minerals, most commonly dominated by cerium and other light rare earth elements. Monazite-(Ce) has the ideal formula CePO4, although natural monazite commonly contains substitutions involving other rare earths and may contain thorium. It occurs in primary igneous and metamorphic rocks as well as resistant heavy-mineral concentrations in placer deposits and can be an important source of rare earth elements.
These elements are often found is this element in the following Deposit Types:
Deposit Type: Carbonatite / Placer REE - REE mineralization associated with carbonatites and secondary placer concentrations of resistant REE-bearing minerals.
Monazite is an important rare-earth phosphate that commonly contains neodymium and occurs in primary deposits and heavy-mineral placers.