No, “rare earth minerals” are referring to an exact section of the periodic table, referring to exactly 17 elements, like “lanthanide series” or “noble gases”.

No, “rare earth minerals” are referring to an exact section of the periodic table, referring to exactly 17 elements, like “lanthanide series” or “noble gases”. It is a technical term, not a descriptive one. Lithium is not in the list. You’re also wrong about lithium’s availability, but that’s another story.