What is "thorianite"

n. (context mineralogy English) A radioactive mineral containing thorium dioxide (thoriumoxygen₂) plus oxides of uranium, lanthanum, cerium neodymium and praseodymium in smaller quantities.

Thorianite is a rare thorium oxide mineral, ThO. It was originally described by Ananda Coomaraswamy in 1904 as uraninite, but recognized as a new species by Wyndham R. Dunstan. It was so named on account of its high percentage of thorium; it also contains the oxides of uranium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium. Helium is present, and the mineral is slightly less radioactive than pitchblende, but is harder to shield due to its high energy gamma rays. It is common in the alluvial gem-gravels of Sri Lanka, where it occurs mostly as water worn, small, heavy, black, cubic crystals. The largest crystals are usually near 1.5 cm. Larger crystals, up to , have been reported from Madagascar.