> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://doc.cryptostone.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://doc.cryptostone.org/introduction/01_introduction.md). # 01 Introduction In the real world, gemstones have long functioned as stores of value, decorative assets, collectible assets, and symbolic assets. The value of gemstones does not arise merely from their physical existence. Gemstone value is formed through mining difficulty, limited reserves, processing precision, grade differences, collecting demand, and cultural symbolism. In particular, gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds can have completely different values even when they belong to the same gemstone type, depending on the attributes of each individual STONX. A gemstone with higher weight, superior color, greater clarity, and more precise cutting has higher scarcity. This structure shows that gemstones are not fungible commodities, but non-fungible assets whose value changes according to individual attributes. Blockchain technology provides a foundation for expressing such non-fungible attributes in a digital environment. However, the existing NFT market has mostly developed around expressing ownership or access rights to images, game items, memberships, or external content. In such cases, the value of the NFT can become dependent on external images, central servers, specific platforms, or operating entities. CryptoStone proposes a different direction. CryptoStone is not an NFT designed to prove external images or centralized server content. Rather, it is a digital gemstone asset in which the NFT itself holds gemstone attribute data, and the attributes themselves express scarcity and collectible value. If Bitcoin created the narrative of digital gold, and Litecoin was called digital silver, CryptoStone presents a new asset category: digital gemstones that are mined and refined on smart contracts. Through this whitepaper, The developer does not seek to transfer physical ownership of real gemstones onto the blockchain, but to describe how the scarcity and attribute-based value of gemstones can be implemented in a decentralized digital environment. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://doc.cryptostone.org/introduction/01_introduction.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.