Navigating China’s curb on rare earths

A sample of bastnaesite ore, a mineral used in the rare earth industry to extract elements such as cerium, is displayed at the Geological Museum of China in Beijing, China. — Reuters

THE names – holmium, europium, ytterbium, thulium, erbium – don’t show up in any of the investing classics. But they’re fast becoming an integral part of the Wall Street lexicon.

These minerals, and others in the category known as rare earths, are used to make advanced weaponry, cutting-edge computer chips and high-tech cars.