Abelsonite is semitransparent and pink-purple, dark greyish purple, pale purplish red, or reddish brown in color.

[1] Abelsonite is a secondary mineral that formed in fractures, vugs, and bedding planes of oil shale.

[7][8] Alternative source are Methanogen Archea, where close compound is used in Cofactor F430 critical for methane production.

[1] The mineral was first noted in 1969 in a core sample made by the Western Oil Shale Corporation in Uintah County, Utah.

[13] The mineral was named after Philip H. Abelson (1913–2004), a long-time editor of the journal Science,[7] for his work in organic geochemistry.