Pitchblende is a variety of uraninite, a mineral that consists chiefly of uranium and oxygen. The ore is highly radioactive. In 1898, the French physicists Marie and Pierre Curie and the French chemist Gustave Bemont discovered radium in pitchblende. Radium is a rare radioactive element used in medicine and the physical sciences. Pitchblende ranks as a major mineral source of uranium, which is used to produce nuclear energy.
The word pitchblende comes from pitch, a shiny substance made from tar. Pitchblende has a tarlike luster and ranges in color from black to dark brown. Countries that have pitchblende deposits include Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, South Africa, and the United States.
