Lutetium's atomic number is 71 and its symbol is Lu. It is a silvery white metal, which resists corrosion in dry air, but not in moist air. Named after the Roman city Lutetia, predecessor of the current-day Paris, where the element was discovered.

Lutetium is not a particularly abundant element, although it is significantly more common than silver in the earth's crust. It has few specific uses. Lutetium-176 is a relatively abundant (2.5%) radioactive isotope with a half-life of about 38 billion years, used to determine the age of minerals and meteorites. It is also used for radionuclide therapy on neuroendocrine tumors.

This display is contained within crystal clear Lucite acrylic.