Holmium (Ho)

Atomic Number: 67 • Group: HREE

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164.930

Holmium

HREE

Primary Uses

Specialized lasers, Magnet-pole pieces (magnetic flux concentrators)

Scarcity & Economic Profile

Crustal Abundance

1.2-1.4 ppm

Primary Economic Driver

Specialty medical lasers

Geological Scarcity

LowMediumHighExtremeTotal

Supply Risk

N/ALowMediumHighExtreme

Primary Mining Countries

China Myanmar

Primary Processing Countries

China

Sources - Crustal Abundance

Rudnick, R. L., & Gao, S. (2003). Composition of the Continental Crust. Treatise on Geochemistry, 3, 1-64.
Taylor, S. R., & McLennan, S. M. (1985). The Continental Crust: Its Composition and Evolution. Blackwell Scientific Publications.
Wedepohl, K. H. (1995). The composition of the continental crust. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 59(7), 1217-1232.
U.S. Geological Survey. (2026). Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. U.S. Department of the Interior.

Short Description

Holmium has the highest magnetic strength of any naturally occurring element, making it useful in magnetic flux concentrators and specialized high-field applications. Holmium lasers are used in medical procedures, particularly in urology and lithotripsy for breaking up kidney stones.