A shiny black asphalt-like hydrocarbon mineral used in varnishes, enamels, and industrial applications.
Named after Samuel Gilson, who discovered and commercialized this mineral in Utah in the 1880s. Combined with -ite (mineral suffix). Also called 'uintaite' after the Uinta Basin where it's found.
Gilsonite is named after a businessman who found it, not a scientist—a rare case where a mineral's discovery date and commercialization are more important than academic study to its naming.
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