Neodymium is a lustrous silver-yellow metal. It is one of the rare-earth metals in the lanthanide series of group IIIb of the periodic table . The metal is also attacked by water and by acids. Its salts form various red aqueous solutions.
Neodymium is present in the minerals monazite and bastnasite.
The metal may be prepared from its halides by reduction. Neodymium is one of several metals in an alloy commonly used in cigarette lighter flints. Neodymium is used in coloring glasses. The earth didymia is a mixture of the oxides of neodymium and praseodymium. The lenses of goggles used by glassblowers are made with a didymium glass that absorbs the yellow sodium glare of the flame.