Methodology

Every geology field on a GemGlow stone page — mineral class, chemical formula, crystal system, Mohs hardness, color cause, formation process, notable localities, treatments, and real-vs-fake guidance — is researched against standard, publicly-available gemological and mineralogical references before publication. We draw primarily on:

• Mindat.org — the largest open mineralogical database, maintained by the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, for locality data, chemical formulas, and crystal system information.
• GIA (Gemological Institute of America) educational materials — for gem-trade treatment practices, hardness, and identification guidance.
• USGS mineral resource data — for formation processes and geological context.
• Peer-reviewed mineralogical literature where a specific claim (like the current understanding of what causes rose quartz's color) has been directly studied and published.

Where sources disagree, or where a color-causing mechanism is still debated among mineralogists (this happens more often than you'd expect — rose quartz's exact cause is a good example), we say so rather than presenting a single tidy answer as settled fact. We do not fabricate hardness values, localities, chemical formulas, or studies. If we can't verify a specific fact about a stone, we either research further or omit the claim — we don't pad the page with vague filler.

The metaphysical/tradition sections of each page are handled separately: they reflect documented cultural and historical practice (with real historical periods and cultures named specifically) and current crystal-healing tradition, always framed as tradition rather than medical claim — see our disclaimer for the exact framing standard every page follows.

Corrections: if you spot a factual error in any geology section, please contact us — we'd genuinely rather fix it than leave it standing.

How stones were chosen for the roster

The initial roster of stones prioritized the crystals people actually search for and buy most often — the widely available quartz-family stones (amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, clear quartz), the most common protective and root-chakra stones (black tourmaline, hematite), and every official modern and traditional birthstone. From there, the roster expands to cover stones with genuinely distinct geology or tradition worth documenting properly, rather than padding the count with near-duplicate entries. If a stone isn't yet published, it's very likely already on the roadmap.

The birthstone lists specifically

The "modern" birthstone list follows the 1912 standardization by the National Association of Jewelers (now Jewelers of America), including later amendments — spinel added to August in 2016, tanzanite added to December in 2002. The "traditional" list reflects older, pre-standardization custom, which varied somewhat by country and era before the 1912 list attempted to settle it; where sources disagree on the traditional stone for a given month, we say so rather than picking one silently. Both lists are dated as of this writing and are reviewed periodically for any further official amendments.

Keeping tradition and fact separate on the same page

Every stone page is structured so the geology section and the tradition section never blend into one paragraph — a deliberate layout choice, not an accident, so a reader can tell at a glance which claims are sourced mineralogical fact and which are cultural or metaphysical tradition. See our disclaimer for the full framing standard behind that separation.