October 31 - November 3, 2004
Element of the Day
Wednesday, October 13
Holmium is found in the
minerals monzaite and gadolinite. The element name comes from the Latin word for
Stockholm, Holmia, which was Cleve's hometown. It has the highest magnetic
moment of any naturally occurring element.
Discovered by: Holmium was first detected in absorption spectral bands by J.L Soret and Marc Delafontaine in Switzerland, 1878. Theodor Cleve independently discovered and isolated the element in 1878.