The mineral was named in 1791. It was named after the place Strontian, Argyllshire, Scotland. The discovery of the element strontium was also made the previous year (1790) before the mineral was named in Strontian. Strontium is more common than copper and is found at a level of 370 parts per million by weight, 87 parts per million by moles in the Earth's crust. The ores of strontium are celestine SrSO4 and strontianite SrCO3. Strontium is not found freely in nature and the process of producing strontium metal commercially involves reducing strontium oxide with aluminium. Good mineral samples of strontianite are rare.