About
A scientific database.
A family project.
Minerito was born from Jacopo's curiosity about minerals — he's 10 years old. His father Stefano built it with editorial rigour, verified sources and full transparency on method. Pisa, Tuscany.
Our mission
Minerito aims to be the Italian mineralogical reference for collectors, university students and professionals in the field — gemologists, geologists, museums. The goal is scientific editorial quality over volume: every entry first answers "what is this mineral" in a self-contained way, then deepens for those who want more.
The approach is strictly scientific, with allowance for cultural and historical significance. No lifestyle content, chakras, zodiac, or healing properties. Ever.
How we produce content
Every entry follows a four-stage editorial pipeline designed to maximise factual accuracy and always make the verification level visible.
Data extraction from primary sources
The skeleton of every entry is extracted from three open scientific databases: Mindat.org (the world's leading mineralogy database), Wikipedia API (EN and IT versions, cross-verified), RRUFF Project (crystallographic database at the University of Arizona). The output is a structured object with physical properties, chemical formula, paragenesis and type localities.
AI generation with scientific prompt
The three depth levels (Essential, In-depth, Technical) are generated via Anthropic's Claude API, using a system prompt that constrains the model to scientific editorial voice, correct units of measurement, standard chemical notation and no speculative content.
All automatically generated entries display the AI Generated badge at the top of the page. We do not hide the origin: it is part of our commitment to editorial transparency.
Expert review — we are looking for collaborators
We want the most important entries to be reviewed by mineralogists, gemologists and geologists with expertise in the field. We are building a network of reviewers: if you are a PhD student, a professional or a knowledgeable enthusiast willing to collaborate — even for a few entries — please write to us. Your name will appear on the reviewed entry with the Human Reviewed or Expert Verified badge.
Error reporting
Found an error in an entry? Write to us at [email protected] with the mineral name and the proposed correction, ideally with a source reference. We integrate verified corrections within a few days.
Primary reference sources
Minerito is not a primary source: it is an editorial layer built on top of existing scientific databases. We always cite the original source.
Mindat.org
The world's largest mineralogy database, managed by the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Used for physical properties, crystallographic data, localities and mineral associations.
mindat.org ↗RRUFF Project
Integrated database of Raman spectra and X-ray crystallography. Managed by the University of Arizona. Used for verified chemical formulas and crystal lattice parameters.
rruff.info ↗Wikipedia (EN + IT)
Official API for cross-checking historical data, etymology and cultural significance. Used as a secondary source, never as the sole source for crystallographic data.
wikipedia.org ↗IMA — International Mineralogical Association
Official list of approved minerals from the IMA/CNMNC commission. Used to validate names, classification and approval status of every mineral species.
ima-mineralogy.org ↗Photo policy
All photographs published on Minerito are licensed under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA from Wikimedia Commons, with automatic attribution visible below each image. No third-party photos are used without licence verification.
The project
Minerito was born in April 2026 from a conversation between Stefano Struia and his son Jacopo, aged 10. Jacopo has been collecting minerals since he was seven and wanted to genuinely understand what he was collecting — in Italian, rigorously, without patronising explanations. Minerito is the site they wished they could find.
Stefano manages the editorial pipeline, the technical stack and quality control. Jacopo is the first reader of the Essential level: if an entry is not understandable to him, it gets rewritten. It is the most honest test there is.
The "Jack's Favourites" section is coming: Jacopo will personally choose the minerals that have impressed him most. For now, he is the reason why every entry must work for a 10-year-old.
"My favourite mineral is Paraíba tourmaline. It's blue like the sea but it comes from the earth."
— Jacopo, age 10
Section coming soon.
Editorial disclaimer
Minerito is a divulgative and educational resource. Content is generated with AI assistance and reviewed according to the pipeline described on this page. For formal scientific research, academic work or professional appraisals, always verify data against original primary sources (Mindat, RRUFF, IMA) and peer-reviewed literature.
The review status badges — AI GENERATED HUMAN REVIEWED EXPERT VERIFIED — indicate the level of verification reached by the entry at the time of consultation.
Minerito is an independent project by Stefano Struia. It is not affiliated with Mindat, IMA, RRUFF or any academic institution. · [email protected]