The Arkenstone
The Arkenstone, founded by Robert Lavinsky and based in Richardson, Texas, operates iRocks.com and MineralAuctions.com to sell fine mineral specimens, custom display cases, publications, and consulting services to a global community of serious mineral collectors, museums, and alternative-asset buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersRichardson, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Arkenstone does
The Arkenstone is a privately held, founder-operated dealer of fine mineral specimens headquartered in Richardson, Texas, selling directly to a global base of serious mineral collectors, museums, and alternative-asset buyers. The company operates the iRocks.com e-commerce platform and a companion MineralAuctions.com auction site, supplemented by participation in the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Showcase, Hard Rock Summit Denver, and the company-hosted Dallas Mineral Collecting Symposium. Inventory is organized into more than 100 themed galleries, including The Vault (premium specimens), named collector galleries (Paul Stahl, Bill Larson Quartz Collection, Jack Halpern, Erika Pohl-Ströher, Wayne Thompson, Alex Schauss), and locality- or species-themed galleries. Prices span from approximately $250 for thumbnail specimens to $27,500+ for exceptional cabinet pieces, with payment plans offered on larger purchases.
The underlying technology is a content-rich e-commerce site featuring Vimeo-hosted specimen videos, professional mineral photography, an advanced search across species, locality, size, and price, and multi-currency pricing across USD, JPY, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CNY. Beyond specimens, the company sells museum-quality custom display cases (Jewel Box, Museum, and Pedestal configurations starting at $8,500 delivered and installed in the contiguous US), custom Lucite bases, mineral-related publications (including the award-winning IKONS of the Mineral World), and offers collection consulting and professional mineral photography services. Revenue streams combine one-time specimen sales (fixed-price and auction), display case hardware sales, transaction fees from auctions, professional services fees, and publication sales.
Distribution combines digital channels (iRocks.com, MineralAuctions.com, three Instagram accounts, the Wisdom Pocket blog, and email newsletter) with physical channels (Tucson, Denver, Dallas Symposium) and direct white-glove installation for cases in the contiguous US. Robert Lavinsky is the founder, public-facing expert, IKONS co-author, and primary relationship holder with major consigning collectors, and the company operates independently with no disclosed institutional capital, subsidiaries, or M&A history.
The Arkenstone firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Arkenstone
- Legal name
- The Arkenstone
- Website
- https://irocks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Arkenstone, founded by Robert Lavinsky and based in Richardson, Texas, operates iRocks.com and MineralAuctions.com to sell fine mineral specimens, custom display cases, publications, and consulting services to a global community of serious mineral collectors, museums, and alternative-asset buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Arkenstone industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fine Minerals Retail
- NAICS
- Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers (42394), Art Dealers (45992)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO)
Keywords
Where The Arkenstone is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richardson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Arkenstone business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fine Mineral Specimen Sales: Direct sales of fine mineral specimens ranging from thumbnail-sized specimens ($250-$2,000) to large cabinet specimens ($1,200-$27,500+). Specimens include minerals from worldwide localities and notable ex-collection pieces. The company maintains extensive themed galleries including The Vault (premium specimens), themed collections, and regular sales.
- Mineral Auctions: Weekly auctions of fine mineral specimens through MineralAuctions.com platform with $10 starting bids, providing auction-based revenue with transaction fees.
- Custom Display Cases: Sale of premium mineral display cases (Jewel Box Case, Museum Case, Pedestal Case) with white-glove delivery and installation within the contiguous US. Cases start at $8,500 delivered with volume discounts for multiple cases.
- Professional Services: Collection consulting and mineral photography services offered to serious collectors seeking expert guidance on specimen acquisition and presentation.
- Publications: Sale of mineral-related publications and books including IKONS of the Mineral World: Nature's Finest Art, a visually stunning book raising mineral collecting to fine art level.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Thumbnail Specimens - Entry to mid-range priced minerals |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Miniature Specimens - Mid-range collectibles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cabinet & Large Cabinet Specimens - Premium specimens |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The Vault - Premium/Investment Grade Specimens |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Display Cases - Museum-quality presentation |
| Other | Monthly | Payment Plans |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Arkenstone product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Arkenstone is a fine minerals dealer that curates and sells high-quality mineral specimens to collectors and institutions through its iRocks.com e-commerce platform. Beyond direct specimen sales, it runs online auctions via MineralAuctions.com, produces custom mineral display cases and lucite bases, publishes books and other reference materials, and offers paid consulting and professional photography services for the mineral collecting community.
Product overview
The Arkenstone operates iRocks.com as a unified e-commerce platform for fine minerals and gemstones, combining direct sales through Featured Galleries with a companion auction platform (MineralAuctions.com). The portfolio includes curated collection-based galleries (Paul Stahl Collection, Bill Larson Quartz Collection, etc.), themed galleries (Gold, Fluorite, Rare Minerals), and specialty offerings such as Custom Display Cases, Arkenstone Publications, Collection Consulting, and Mineral Photography Services. The company also hosts the annual Dallas Mineral Collecting Symposium and maintains The Wisdom Pocket Blog for industry news.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- iRocks.com Fine Mineral Specimens Retail
Companies that use The Arkenstone
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Arkenstone technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Arkenstone partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Arkenstone competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Arkenstone social profiles
Digital presenceThe Arkenstone financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Arkenstone leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Arkenstone funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Arkenstone M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Arkenstone
What does The Arkenstone do?
The Arkenstone is a fine minerals dealer that curates and sells high-quality mineral specimens to collectors and institutions through its iRocks.com e-commerce platform. Beyond direct specimen sales, it runs online auctions via MineralAuctions.com, produces custom mineral display cases and lucite bases, publishes books and other reference materials, and offers paid consulting and professional photography services for the mineral collecting community.
Is The Arkenstone a public or private company?
The Arkenstone is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Arkenstone founded?
The Arkenstone was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Arkenstone based?
The Arkenstone is headquartered in Richardson, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Arkenstone make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Fine Mineral Specimen Sales are the primary driver. The others are mineral Auctions, custom Display Cases, professional Services and publications.
Does The Arkenstone have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Arkenstone.
What industry is The Arkenstone in?
The Arkenstone's product category is Fine Minerals Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAGAO, Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail. Its NAICS code is 42394 and its SIC code is 5094.