The Arkenstone : Buying and Selling Fine Minerals since 1987, Online since 1996!
Let us help you collect the finest mineral specimens! Mineral Collections and Mineral Specimens for sale.

Dr. Robert Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
The Arkenstone, PO BOX 450788, Garland, TX 75045-0788
Phone 972-437-2492 "normal hours" Central Time Zone, Fax 972-437-4644


Official PayPal Seal

Recommended by FORBES: COLLECTOR , Nov. 2006

Providing fine specimens at all price levels to Private Collectors and Institutions, including:
Houston Museum of Natural Science, Royal Ontario Museum,
The Sorbonne, The Smithsonian,
American Museum of Natural History, South Australian Museum, Seaman Museum, & others



This site proudly brought to you by Rob Lavinsky, with help from :
collectors Kevin Brown, Wally Mann, Karl Warning,
Guy Lyman, Jeff Starr, James Blakeley on bases,
and other friends here in Dallas
...over 125 years of mineral-collecting "addiction" between us.



ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS:

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA:
PRIVATE LUNCHEON & SHOWING on MAY 17-18:
Meet us, and meet your peers in the neighborhood!
RSVP for more information






* JUST ACQUIRED: THE MIGUEL ROMERO SANCHEZ COLLECTION (Best of Mexico - click here for a bio!)
* JUST ACQUIRED: WILLIAM LARSON/PALA INTL SAN DIEGO COUNTY locality collection! ...click here
Updates from both collections will be coming this summer.
No details or prices available until then, sorry.
* JOHN YDREN COLLECTION (1960s-1970s Southern California and US classics!)
* WALT GAYLORD's ELMWOOD MINE COLLECTION (Walt was mine geologist!)
* HAROLD URISH COLLECTION (2000 pieces, mostly southern US and Mexico classics!)
* RICHARD HAUCK QUARTZ COLLECTION (1000 pieces, mostly historic classics!!)
*Also stay tuned for selections from the George Feist collection of Midwest classics !



WE BUY COLLECTIONS!

FOR MORE INFORMATION,
click here and see also below:

SEE US AT THE WORLD's THREE LARGEST SHOWS!
Munich, Denver, Tucson:


CLICK HERE FOR IMAGES
from the new showroom
(Ad from Mineralogical Record,
design courtesy of Dr. Wendell Wilson:
NEW GALLERY NOW OPEN IN DALLAS!
Please, by appointment only:
email Kevin Brown
gallery manager
We are only 30-45 minutes from two airports.







NEW UPDATES posting frequently!
CLICK HERE!


WWW.MINERALAUCTIONS.COM

THE mineral auction venue!

...now even easier to use, with Proxy Bidding!

NEW mineral auctions and gem auctions posted weekly!


Also visit
tsumebfineminerals.com
Museum & Gallery site


RECENTLY ACQUIRED!:

RICHARD HAUCK QUARTZ COLLECTION : over 500 historic worldwide quartzes!

CHARLIE KEY COLLECTION
& 1000's of pieces of old DEALERS STOCK
Expect updates through 2008 as we disperse this collection!

SPECIMENS FOR SALE(click here)

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR UPCOMING AD IN Rocks & Minerals:
 CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR UPCOMING AD IN Mineralogical Record:



TESTIMONIALS: In lieu of testimonials, I am proud to simply say that we are trusted with
offering selections purchased , exchanged, or consigned from the well-known Collections of:

Jack Halpern, Steve Neely, Ralph Clark, Eric Asselborn, Gene Meieran,
Francis Benjamin, Wally Mann, Marshall & Charlotte Sussman,Wendell Wilson,
Bill Pinch, Mark Feinglos, Steve Smale, and many other collectors we deal with.



* THE MIGUEL ROMERO SANCHEZ COLLECTION (Best of Mexico - click here for a bio!)
* JUST ACQUIRED: WILLIAM LARSON/PALA INTL SAN DIEGO COUNTY locality collection! ...click here
Updates for both collections will be coming this summer.


* WILLIAM LARSON/PALA INTL GARNET locality collection
* WALT GAYLORD's ELMWOOD MINE COLLECTION (Walt was mine geologist!)
* POSTING SOON: the CHARLIE KEY ORANJE RIVER QUARTZ collection!


STILL RELEASING FOR SALE!: hundreds of specimens from the
Dr. EDWARD E. DAVID COLLECTION !
Expect updates and new specimens at shows through 2007:
JUST IN: 400 NEW SPECIMENS NEVER SHOWN!
CLICK HERE TO SEE A TEASER of this world-reknowned collection


Some "Recent" Collection Acquisitions from 2003-on :

* The World-Class Collection of Dr. Edward E. David of Bedminster, NJ - 1000 pieces!
new specimens at shows and web throughout 2007...

* Dr. ERIC ASSELBORN COLLECTION (2006) (selections)
THE MAJORITY OF HIS WORLDWIDE & RARITIES SUITES
* THOMPSON MINIATURES COLLECTION (Thumbnails and Miniatures)
* CHUCK HOUSER COLLECTION (SAN DIEGO COUNTY MINERALS) (2007)
* Irv Brown San Diego County Collection (2004)
* Chris Korpi San Diego County Collection (2003)
* Marshall and Charlote Sussman Tsumeb Collection (2004)
* Willy Israel Tsumeb Collection
* MARILYN DODGE thumbnail collection
* ED RUGGIERO & VIOLET DAWSON COLLECTIONS
* RICHARD HAUCK QUARTZ COLLECTION
* RICHARD HAUCK COPPER COLLECTION
* GARY HANSEN COLLECTION AND DEALER STOCK
* SAM NASSER thumbnail collection
* Dr. PETER BANCROFT COLLECTION (selections)
* MARTIN LEWADNY COLLECTION
* ROB SMITH Tsumeb Collection
* CARLTON DAVIS thumbnail collection
* RARE BOOK COLLECTION of BILL PINCH
* STEVE SINOTTE & REBECCA STEWART COLLECTION
* CHARLIE KEY COLLECTION and old DEALERS STOCK (1000s of pieces!)
* Selections from the WENDELL WILSON COLLECTION
* RICHARD "DICK" JONES COLLECTION AND DEALER STOCK
* HAROLD URISH COLLECTION of ARIZONA AND US CLASSICS (fall, 2007)
* GEORGE FEIST COLLECTION (Midwest Classics)
* GEORGE ELLING COLLECTION (selection of 1000 classics and gem XLS)
* Mike and Mary Jaworski Pyromorphite Collection (2004)


Major collections where we handled a large portion:

SIR ROBERT FERGUSON Collection (1769-1840) : over 200 pieces (1998)

F JOHN BARLOW Collection (selections) : over 1000 pieces (1999)

JOSEPH FREILICH COLLECTION/SOTHEBY'S AUCTION 2001 (selections) : over 100 specimens
(more than any other dealer at the time)

MARTIN ZINN III selections & RARITIES SUITE! (500-plus specimens)








SELECTED REFERENCE BOOKS!
Available for sale:(please inquire)




NEW BOOK: AMERICAN MINERAL TREASURES!
edited by Gloria Staebler & Dr. Wendell Wilson

Featuring over 40 of the most important US Mineral Localities of the 1900's with stories and photos! For the information content and sheer size of the book, I regard the cover price of $85 as cheap (it was subsidized heavily by donations from over 75 contributors, including myself, to make it so!). I will be offering a DVD documenting these specimens and more from the companion exhibition at the Tucson 2008 main show, later this summer.

TO ORDER A COPY, please buy directly from the authors
(I'd rather see more people buy it, than make a buck off it!):
www.mineralogicalrecord.com OR www.lithographie.org





NOW POSTED:THE SUSSMAN TSUMEB COLLECTION
This IMPORTANT collection will be posted permanently for both sale and reference on www.tsumebfineminerals.com!

 
SHIPPING POLICY FOR INTERNATIONAL ORDERS over $400
(note: FedEx overnight or 3 day service is also available
for domestic shipping
at prices comparable to US MAIL)


Order/Payment Information

 
SHOW SCHEDULE


* ANNOUNCING PRIVATE LUNCHEON/SHOWINGS:
Meet us, and meet your peers in the neighborhood!
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA:(early summer and November of each year)
NYC , Phoenix, or LA (TBA)



February, 2008
54th ANNUAL TUCSON SHOW!
Tucson, Arizona

 2 LOCATIONS: WESTWARD LOOK HOTEL SHOW (FEB. 8-11)
 &
MAIN SHOW at the CONVENTION CENTER on the following weekend, Feb 14-17 th!

MAY 2-4, 2008
DALLAS

- The 2nd Annual DALLAS FINE MINERAL SHOW
...new and coming up in the world

Here in our hometown!!

May 17 & 18, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO

- PRIVATE SHOWING in hotel ballroom, free lunch, and fun!

AUGUST 8-10th, 2008
SPRINGFIELD (Mass.) SHOW

- The East Coast's premier show

AUGUST 2008
SHORT HILLS/NYC area

- PRIVATE SHOWING in hotel ballroom, free lunch, and fun!

SEPTEMBER , 2008
DENVER SHOW

 See us at THE DENVER GEM AND MINERAL SHOW at the Merchandise Mart!
Now in a triple-sized room in aisle J!

Oct 31-November 2 2008
44rd Annual MUNICH SHOW

- Look for us in the special Mineral Pavillion section

mid-NOVEMBER 2008
SAN FRANCISCO

- PRIVATE SHOWING in hotel ballroom, free lunch, and fun!

This is us!

Kevin, Guy, James, Rob, Karl, Chris, Natalie Jeff, Rob, Wally


What do I do in "real life?"In mid-2000, I finished (FINALLY!) my thesis to complete graduate studies for a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics....(click here for publications) dealing with the mechanisms of control of gene expression by nuclear receptors (estrogen, vitamin A, vitamin D, thyroid hormone receptors, etc...). I earned my doctoral degree at the University of California-San Diego, which is what brought an Ohio boy far West in the first place. Then I moved to Texas for family reasons later on! Despite conflict between rocks and biology, biology won out at some point and I decided to pursue the PhD and perhaps go into academia.

I had meanwhile been selling minerals and building my own collection since the age of 12. On the side, it kept growing, but I vowed never to be a show dealer, relying on travelling all year and setting up at shows. With the advent of the internet, however, I had an interesting alternative and, given the chance, I am now pursuing the minerals FULLtime and then some (obviously!).

I was one of the first websites to begin selling minerals on the net, and I think that the internet has lent new life and excitement to this hobby that I have loved since childhood. It is a pleasure to have taken part in this change, and I thank my friends and customers for their support!  

In case you're wondering, the "Polar Bear" rock in my web logo is a schorl and cleavelandite specimen, collected in the '50s by Louis Spalding Sr. from the ABC mine in Ramona, California. It is now part of Charlotte Sussman's personal collection of animal-lookin' rocks, but was my personal "Arkenstone" so to speak. A lot of people who see this specimen assume the schorl crystals were glued to the cleavelandite to make the face until they see the back side of it. When I bought the (first!) Sussman Tsumeb collection in 2003, Charlotte Sussman decided to collect animal-like specimens and I just had to let her have it, so now this piece proudly resides in the Charlotte Sussman collection.  
 

ALL PICTURES, TEXT, DESIGN © THE ARKENSTONE & WebRocks Inc. 1996-infinity