Monazite: A rareearth phosphate mineral.
What is Monazite? Monazite is a rare phosphate mineral with a chemical composition of (Ce,La,Nd,Th)(PO 4,SiO 4).It usually occurs in small isolated grains, as an accessory mineral in igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granite, pegmatite, schist, and grains are resistant to weathering and become concentrated in soils and sediments downslope from the host rock.