Specimens Carbocernaite is a rare mineral with an unusual chemistry.
Cerium is just one of the several rare earth metals that are important to industry.
A closely related mineral is called burbankite . Both minerals are considered to be important in the development of rare earth metal containing minerals in carbonatite rocks and are being studied for this reason. Some rare earth minerals have been found to make pseudomorphs of burbankite and carbocernaite. A testament perhaps of how they play a role in the rare earth minerals' development. Although both contain some rare earth metals, neither is common enough to be considered at present a viable source for these important metals.