The original use of the mineral yttria and the purpose of its extraction from mineral sources was as part of the process of making gas mantles and other products for turning the flames of artificially-produced gases (initially hydrogen, later coal gas, paraffin, or other products) into human-visible light.

Y2O3 is used in specialty coatings and pastes that can withstand high temperatures and act as a barrier for reactive metals such as uranium.

[11] A sphere covered with a 10 mm coating sited far from the Earth and 1 astronomical unit from the sun could keep temperatures below 50 K. One use is long-term cryogenic storage.

[13] It's also used to create red phosphors for LED screens and TV tubes, as well as in anti-reflective coatings to enhance light transmission.

It is exceedingly rare, occurring as inclusions in native tungsten particles in a placer deposit of the Bol’shaja Pol’ja (Russian: Большая Полья) river, Prepolar Ural, Siberia.