Rare Earth Metals Worth More Than Gold Found In Utah Near Site Where Bricks Were Made

The discovery of rare metals in Utah that are needed in the high tech industry has created a lot of excitement in the state and nationally. The wild thing is the clay where these rare metals were found was also used to make bricks for homes.

Unlocking Halloysite Clay's Hidden Potential

This halloysite clay is found on the west side of Utah lake on school trust lands. A company named Ionic Mineral Technologies has been testing and developing the area. They have found 16 critical minerals that up to now have mostly been found in China.

These are elements like gallium, germanium, rubidium, cesium, and many more. With the rise of AI these metals are in even more demand. The defense industry needs these metals and is very interested in what was found in Utah.

From Clay to Wealth: The Value of Utah's Minerals

These riches that are near the surface in Utah are worth more than gold. The land has been leased by Ionic and they believe they can recover the elements from the clay with minimal waste and they have already begun.

Here is the wild part of this story. I talked with Brandon Nay who has been working in this area. He pointed out that this clay was used to make bricks by a company that began in 1904.

Possible Minerals Hidden in Old Bricks

It was the Utah Fire Clay Company and they had different brick manufacturing sites along the Wasatch Front. One of these was Pelican Point where they found this same halloysite clay to be perfect for making bricks.

That means it is possible there are houses and buildings in Utah County that could potentially be built with bricks dating back to this site. That also means these bricks could contain some important metals baked into them.

Read More: New Planes With Hybrid Engines Changing Travel in Utah

It is an intriguing idea. Old houses in Utah that are worth more than the those mansions in Park City.