Torite, is a rare nesosilicate of thorium that crystallizes in the tetragonal system and is isomorphous with zircon and hafnon. It is the most common mineral of thorium and is nearly always strongly radioactive.

Thorite was discovered in 1828 in Norway, by the vicar and mineralogist, Hans Morten Thrane Esmark.

Since Thorite is undergoing radioactive decay, it will also contain daughter elements, but not like the variety Uranium ores contain due to the differences in the decay chain.

Thorium-232 has a half-life of 14 billion years and mainly decays by alpha decay to radium-228. The decay chain follows the thorium series, which terminates at stable lead-208. The intermediates in the thorium-232 decay chain are all relatively short-lived; the longest-lived intermediate decay products are radium-228 and thorium-228, with half lives of 5.75 years and 1.91 years, respectively. All other intermediate decay products have half lives of less than four days.

Single crystals of this purity and quality are quite rare.