It has a silver luster that is not significantly tarnished under normal room conditions. Among the rare-earths, samarium is the fifth most abundant. Its commercial applications are in high-technology industries such as electronic and ceramics industries. It is easily magnetized, and no other material is more difficult to demagnetize. This property suggests important applications in solid-state and superconductor technologies.
Samarium also has a high neutron absorption capacity.
Its compounds have specialized uses in glass, phosphors , lasers, and thermoelectric devices. Calcium chloride crystals treated with samarium have been employed in lasers which produce beams of light intense enough to burn metal or bounce off the moon.