In Nature

Where is it Found
    Holmium occurs in gadolinite, monazite,  and in other rare-earth minerals. (Handbook)

What is its Natural Abundance
   Estimated Crustal Abundance:     1.3 milligrams per kilogram
   Estimated Oceanic Abundance:    2.2×10^-7 milligrams per liter

How is Obtained

Most commercial grade holmium is obtained from monazite sand, which is a mixture of phosphates of Calcium, thorium, cerium, and most of the other rare earth metals. This sand is often 50% rare earth by weight, with approximately 0.05% being holmium. Most of the unwanted metals can be removed from ground monazide magnetically or by floatation process. The remaining operations deal with separating holmium from the other rare-earth metals.

    Like most rare-earth metals, holmium can be separated by an ion exchange displacement process. The result is a holmium ion, which can react with oxygen ions to form holmium oxide. This oxide is then used for producing other holmium compounds.

   It has been isolated by the reduction of its anhydrous chloride or fluoride with calcium metal.  (Handbook) The use of Holmium oxide and the appropriate acid can result in the creation of holmium fluoride or chloride.

            Ho₂O₃ + 6HF --> 2HoF₃ + 3 H₂O

    Either of these holmium compounds can then be reacted with Calcium metal to recover pure Holmium metal

            3Ca + 2HoF₃ --> 2 Ho + 3CaF₂