Rare earth minerals are minerals containing one or more rare-earth elements, which are a group of 17 chemical elements that include 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. These minerals are called "rare" not because the elements are scarce in the Earth's crust—they are relatively plentiful—but because they rarely occur in concentrated and economically mineable forms. The rare earth elements have unique geochemical properties making their separation and purification from minerals complex and costly. These rare earth minerals are crucial for a wide range of modern technologies. They are key components in electronics, renewable energy technologies like wind turbines and electric vehicles, medical devices, military equipment, and advanced manufacturing. For example, they are essential in manufacturing powerful permanent magnets used in smartphones, computers, MRI machines, and electric motors. The processing of rare earth minerals involves complex multi-stage procedures and often faces environmental challenges. In summary, rare earth minerals are important mineral sources of rare earth elements that have extraordinary magnetic, luminescent, and catalytic properties, making them indispensable for high-tech and green technologies, despite their extraction and refining difficulties.