However, it's important to note that:
* Other scientists had observed and studied the mineral before Berzelius. For example, René Just Haüy had identified it as a distinct mineral in 1801, calling it "mica noire" (black mica).
* Berzelius's contribution was to formally describe and name the mineral. He named it after Jean-Baptiste Biot, a French physicist who studied the optical properties of mica.
So, while Berzelius is often credited with the discovery of biotite, it's more accurate to say he was the first to formally describe and name it.
