Exploring The Arkenstone

Sep 3, 2016

A Monumental Excavation: Exploring The Arkenstone

A young Rob Lavinsky appeared in Chris Pfaff's "Mineral and Fossil Enthusiast" publication.

A young Rob Lavinsky appeared in Chris Pfaff’s “Mineral and Fossil Enthusiast” publication.

For collectors and enthusiasts wishing to buy rocks and minerals, The Arkenstone has long been an excellent resource for viewing available specimens – but how did we get here?

Inspired by his childhood love for rock collecting, Dr. Robert Lavinsky founded The Arkenstone in the mid-90’s, after nearly two decades of personal collecting. His goal? To become a reliable and trustworthy source for those seeking to buy rocks and minerals, and to support the expansion of interest in fine rock and mineral collecting by providing accurate, informative content to amateur and professional rockhounds, worldwide.

What began as a personal hobby blossomed into a small business, which has now grown to become a thriving international endeavor – with offices in both Dallas, Texas and Shanghai, China. Though we’ve maintained an intimate staff, our team is a powerhouse of knowledge, with over 100 combined years of expertise. Each individual contributes a wealth of collecting experience, alongside a true passion and dedication to promoting a love of fine rocks and minerals.

Our desire to share our collective knowledge and passion has inspired the creation of The Arkenstone’s free publication, available online at iRocks.com. The Wisdom Pocket offers a steady stream of informative content, designed to assist both hobbyists and professional collectors wishing to expand their knowledge, and improve their collections. Whether looking to buy rocks and minerals, improve the aesthetics of their collection for showcase and display, or simply obtain in-depth information regarding their specific area of interest, curious readers and collectors will find this publication a valuable and authoritative resource on all subjects related to fine rock and mineral collecting.

Minerals in LED lit cases

Thousands of fine minerals are on display at The Arkenstone in luxury cases.

The expansion of The Arkenstone’s facilities are reflective of our successful establishment as one of the world’s foremost resources for rock and mineral collectors. Our Dallas location includes a 3,000 square foot gallery of museum-quality specimens, accessible for educational purposes and public viewing – as well as several studios used for professional mineral photography, facilities for making custom display bases, and our company offices and warehouse space. Asia’s incredible economic growth has supported the establishment of another location in Shanghai, China – complete with gallery space which showcases unique specimens from around the world. (Viewing of either gallery can be arranged by appointment).

Still, our finest accomplishment is the establishment of an impressive online gallery of fine rocks, minerals, and natural gemstones – including more than 40,000 specimens, and representing over 1,000 individual species. Those wishing to buy rocks and minerals to supplement or build their collections can search from an amazing array of both common and rare species. Our comprehensive search tool supports search by mineral name, species, description, locality, and other relevant features – even allowing collectors and enthusiasts to narrow their results to fit their preferred budget.

For those rockhounds, curators, and collectors who are unsure where to begin, we also offer comprehensive consulting services. Whether hoping to buy rocks and minerals specific to the completion of your collection, or seeking advice on the sale or auction of currently owned pieces, our team offers incredible insight. And, no collection or question is too large or small – we are pleased to educate new collectors, evaluate specimens, make suggestions, or analyze purchases at all price points.

No matter how far The Arkenstone’s exploration may take us – our goals remain the same. We apply our expertise and experience to assist new and established collectors, museums, and auction houses, in hopes of inspiring and supporting a passion for fine rocks and minerals. We could not ask for a better job!