Lutetium was discovered in 1907 by Georges Urbain. Its name derives from the word "Lutetia" which is the ancient name of Paris.
Lutetium's melting point is at 1656.0 C (1929.15 K, 3012.8 F) and its boiling point is at 3315.0 C (3588.15 K, 5999.0 F).
Lutetium is a silvery white metal.
Lutetium is corrosion resistant in dry air but not in moist air.
Lutetium is not an abundant element in Earth's crust but it is more abundant than silver.
Lutetium has the highest density, it is the smallest, has the highest melting point, and it is the hardest element among lanthanides.
Lutetium is a monoisotopic element which means that it has only one stable isotope, lutetium-175.
Lutetium is not found in nature by itself but together with other rare-earth elements.
Lutetium's separation from other elements is a very difficult and expensive process.
The first three main producers of lutetium (lutetium oxide) are China, the USA, and Brazil.
Lutetium's price (pure element) is about a quarter of the price of gold.
Lutetium's main uses are: catalyst in petroleum industry, in high reflective index immersion lithography, as a dopant in magnetic bubble memory devices, in positron emission tomography, in LED light bulbs, in meteorites dating, as a host for X-ray phosphors, and few other very specific applications.