Smithsonite is a mineral that is commonly found in zinc deposits. Apart from its scientific name, this mineral has a few alternate names given by geologists and mineralogists all over the world. Some popular synonyms for Smithsonite include zinc spar, galmei, calamine, cawk, hemimorphite, saddle mineral, and bonamite. These names are often used interchangeably, especially in literature, to refer to this mineral. While zinc spar was coined because of its resemblance to calcite, galmei originates from an old German mining town where Smithsonite was found. In essence, these names all refer to the same mineral that is popular among collectors and geologists.