By Antoinette Rahn

Ajay Bansal’s pursuit of a career in the gemstone industry began when he was attending college in New York in the late 1990s. Juggling a full academic course load and learning the gem business while overcoming various obstacles was a lot to handle at the same time and at a young age, but he did it, and it’s more than paid off for this passionate owner of Bestingems.com.

All of the juggling, learning, maneuvering, and patience he practiced when first starting not only helped to hone his sharp business mind and work ethic, it also prepared him for doing business during a pandemic and doing so successfully.

“You always have to be on your toes to stay in business,” Ajay said. “Market conditions and customer requirements change so quickly and so fast that if you are not ready to adapt in a timely manner, you will be left behind. COVID-19 is a prime example of this. Within a week from 80 trade shows a year, we came down to zero shows. But we were quick enough to learn and adapt.”

The BIG (Bestingems.com) team, which includes around 15 employees, was always interested and eager to work on the company website and develop an app. However, given the number of shows and travel they did, finding the time was always a challenge until the pandemic changed the landscape of how they, and a vast majority of companies, do business.

Changing their approach from a largely show-focused operation to in-office and online sales, Bestingems.com now has inventory in the office all of the time, which makes for even more quick and complete order fulfillment, Ajay explained.

“Our online sales in 2020 were already 60 percent higher than 2019, and with the new website and app launching, we are expecting exponential online growth moving forward,” he added.

As history reveals, Ajay’s keen strategic business sense and passion for a full future has been at work since he began his operation in 1999. Among his earliest and most substantial decisions was to marry and move. Ajay married Shikha in 2001, and she became an essential part of the business right off the bat. Shikha also traveled and attended trade shows before having the couple’s first child in 2005. Their first child’s birth changed Shikha’s role from traveling and shows to taking care of other crucial aspects of the business, including designing and placing orders for semi-mounts and gemstones, quality control, managing inventory marketing strategy, and customer service, among other things.

Today, Shikha oversees many aspects with perfection while working 50 plus hours a week and taking care of two demanding teenagers.

Although the current show schedule is still light, traffic to the website and through the app is anything but, and the strategic decision to call the Midwest home serves BIG well still today whether Ajay and his team are traveling or welcoming visiting buyers.

It’s not only been location and the show schedule that’s changed over the years. The business operation has evolved a lot in 10 years, Ajay reports. Cabochons have long been a significant part of the inventory BIG offers, but a growing interest in ready-made jewelry prompted Ajay and his team to expand their offerings and services to meet the need.

“We have gemstones in cabs — in almost every stone on the planet, in calibrated sizes,” Ajay explained. “Since the cost of manufacturing is going up in the USA every day, now customers’ interest has shifted to ready-made jewelry. This leads us to 14K gold semi-mounts that have become a huge part of our inventory recently. Now we have more than 5,000 rings, earrings, and pendants, [as well as] 14K gold semi-mounts with diamonds, in stock at a given time.”

In addition to the inventory, customers also choose BIG for custom mounting and setting services.

“We do custom designs and have them manufactured in our overseas unit in Mumbai, India,” said Ajay. “We have a GIA graduate on staff (and) a bench jeweler on staff (who happens to be the face of our company), which help (with) identifying gemstones and getting stones mounted in a timely manner.”

Whether BIG is expanding its virtual presence, serving wholesalers at its Ohio office, working with customers to fulfill gemstone purchases, or creating custom jewelry to cherish for a lifetime, the BIG team is happily here for it all. All the evolution, all the growth and opportunities, and all of Ajay Bansal’s hopes, dreams, and passions to serve and celebrate the gemstone industry.

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By Antoinette Rahn

Nearly 16 years ago, when Zoltan and Jody Matolcsy were just starting out as a married couple with dreams of transforming their shared hobby of rockhounding into a business, some may have thought it was a far-fetched aspiration. That’s ok; this dynamic duo has always been up for a challenge, and the way it has all played out, they were right to chase those dreams and follow their passion.

Today, the family business, Dig Maine Gems (DMG), is a bucket-list destination for many a rockhound, be they seasoned pros or beginners. Catching up with Zoltan, Jody, and their son and business associate, Tristan, as 2021 began, we learn how 2020 affected them, their business, and their ongoing effort to carry on Maine’s rich mining history and opportunities and share their knowledge with others.

Among the many things they learned during the unconventional year of 2020 was that “that people have had a huge desire to get out and try new and different things, especially when it is related to an outdoor adventure / educational experience during the pandemic,” the Matolcsys said. “We were witness to huge amounts of generosity for the type of experience we provide during our 2020 season, and 2021 is off to a great start with our new online store!”

If the Matolcsys were able to travel back in time to the heyday of mining activity on the property they own, once the bustling Ryerson Mine of South Paris, Maine, and share some of the things they are doing in 2021, the looks on the faces of the miners might be shock and confusion.

Leading people on dig adventures, selling stones they dug, carved and cut, and transformed into jewelry and art through a newly developed online store (that concept alone may blow their minds), are some of the many things they’re doing today in relation to the very property that benefitted generations of Maine residents more than a century ago. One person in particular who would revel in their success is Zoltan’s mother. Whether or not she had a crystal ball to see into the future of the property across from their homestead is unknown, but she had some visionary tendencies, it seems. Because before she died in 1982, she purchased a nearly 100-acre parcel of land, which was once part of the Ryerson Hill Mines and Quarry operation. The very place where a young Zoltan had watched miners come and go, working the mines day in and day out.

Today, the Matolcsy family bestows decades of geological knowledge and a legacy of mining activity when leading customers on digs and general visits to their property.

“The majority of people that come to us are rockhounds but are generally inexperienced. Our knowledgeable staff has a priority of sparking interest in our customers,” the family said. “Whether it is at our site, or on our trip to Mt Mica, we give a hands-on, fun, and informative education based upon rock collecting and the incredible world that gems and minerals reside within.”

Another new development for Dig Maine Gems was a new space of operations. The increased visibility they now have from the road played a large role in the increase in customer traffic in 2020, they explained. Although they don’t keep clear-cut records about the number of people that visit Dig Maine Gems each year, they did report noticing a considerable increase in traffic to their location and a slightly small decrease in crowds participating in field trips, mainly due to the later start of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 related restrictions.

For anyone looking for details about when the 2021 season begins at Dig Maine Gems, it’s best to keep an eye on their website, because the season begins as soon as the snow melts.

For Jody and Zoltan, who met over their shared interest in rocks, gems, and minerals (a match made in rockhounding heaven, which they call Maine), one of the best things to come from chasing their dreams is to have their children learn and share in their passion. The couple’s three youngest children have been involved in the operation over the years, and the two oldest children helped a lot when they were teenagers and have now moved on to careers of their own. However, the youngest, Tristan, age 24, is interested in making the Dig Maine Gems operation his career.

“We have always felt at DMG that if you follow your passion, have heart, and are genuine, success will follow.”

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The post Dig Maine Gems: Carrying On a Legacy and Following a Passion first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Fifty years in business is a serious accomplishment.

Doing business using the same steadfast code of ethics, commitment to collaboration, and willingness and desire to diversify is how The Gem Shop, Inc., does business. With 50 years under its proverbial “business belt,” it has shown to be a recipe for success and happiness.

Being part of this multi-generational family-run business is like “filling big shoes,” explained Veronica Woods, co-owner and daughter of The Gem Shop founder, Gene Mueller.

“My father is a very honest man, and he used his code of ethics – which was part of what we were raised as a family by – to run the business,” she said. “He is incredibly fair. I think that, in turn, has built a great reputation for The Gem Shop.”

Woods, who joined the family business 21 years ago with the intent of working there “for a while,” went on to say, “The reputation of the business is stronger itself than anything any one of us does.”

That commitment to ethical business, protecting and respecting the business’ reputation, and always cultivating a culture of learning are among the many foundational aspects of this small-town-business with a global presence.

The business itself may have begun in 1971 as an in-home operation in the home of Gene and Verla Mueller, but the passion for stone, rockhounding, lapidary work, learning, and collaboration is something that dates back to Gene’s youth. His passion for rocks, agates, and jaspers, most notably, began while visiting his grandfather and grandmother in Minnesota, where time was spent hunting for agates, among other stones, and visiting the local rock shop.

“It was during these visits that I became googly-eyed about rocks,” Mueller said with a sincere smile and a twinkle in his eye.

With interest piqued, Mueller’s father, Gordon, saw the love of stone and the committed sense of wonder develop in his son, and he sought to encourage it. So much so that more than a few family vacations were planned with rockhounding in mind, explained Woods, recalling some family stories told to her about summer-time travels to destinations where young Gene could collect specific rocks. These trips may not have always been the dream vacations of Gene’s two sisters, Cindy and Marcia, but as time would tell, they’d take more away from these adventures than they realized at the time.

Early on in the history of The Gem Shop, Inc., both Cindy and Marcia worked with Gene, clocking more than 25 years. In fact, after learning the techniques and processes for cutting stone, Marcia would go on to become the company’s primary stone cutter for more than 20 years, explained Woods. Today, the multi-generational operation includes Woods’ son, Avery, who is training and preparing to do more with the e-commerce element of the business, she said.

The evolution of this multi-generational, family-run business isn’t only evident in the various family members who have and presently give their skills, knowledge, and commitment to the cause of sharing the joy of rocks, gems, minerals, and lapidary with others; it’s also evident in the physical and mindful evolution of the business.

Growth of the business during the past 50 years has included, and will undoubtedly not be limited to:

• Mining operations — Ownership of the Beverly Marie TGS claim and Blue Mustang claim in southeastern Oregon for more than 30 years; co-ownership with a Mexican-based firm to hold claims and legally import rocks from Mexico, where it sources its popular Agua Nueva Agate.

• Retail sales and lapidary work, including custom creations and jewelry.

• Importation relationships built over the course of decades with individuals and companies in Australia, India, Madagascar, Brazil, Turkey, Uruguay, Russia, Indonesia, Peru, and South Africa, among others. The company receives about 10 importations each year, often in preparation for its participation during the Tucson show season. “As a second generation business owner, now I’m dealing with the daughters and sons of the people my dad developed contacts with in the 1970s and 1980s,” Woods said. “It’s amazing to be part of a business relationship that is older than me.”

• Ownership of the Tucson Showplace — having owned the show for nearly 20 years after being a tenant of the show for 20 or so years prior. The Tucson Showplace show is home to nine tenants, operating out of a 130,000 square foot showroom during the Tucson show season.

• Wholesale business

• New! Distributor for Hausen Rock Treasures. A partnership developed in 2020, wherein The Gem Shop team manages the U.S. e-commerce operation for Hausen Rock Treasures, an Austrian firm. The Gem Shop receives inventory from Hausen Rock Treasures, and the team picks, packs, and ships to U.S. buyers.

The above “arms of the business” are the avenues and partnerships beyond the day-to-day inventory and activity growth at The Gem Shop, Inc. retail business. The retail growth includes ongoing development of new product lines and expansion of popular product lines, including a children’s series of rockhounding, mineralogy, and lapidary products, that includes more than 10 items and helped to inspire the shop’s annual Fossil Hunt Contest, which takes place in the spring and summer each year. Look for more information about the contest in a future issue of Rock & Gem!

One of the most significant recent developments for The Gem Shop, Inc., is the physical expansion of the Cedarburg, Wisconsin, operation. In one very special way, the family-run operation is returning to its roots. The expansion is taking place in the community’s former cannery facility, which at one point also housed Carlson Tool Company, which was initially a four-person partnership, with one of the partners being Gordon Mueller, Wood’s grandfather.

“To bring it back here and to have The Gem Shop here is incredibly special,” Woods said.

Before the current renovation project, The Gem Shop’s space in the historic building served as its wholesale showroom, warehouse, and shipping and receiving location. Now, the space The Gem Shop occupies, which it recently had renovated from roof to floor, will serve as the headquarters for the business, its e-commerce operation, social media event production area, and will continue to serve as the wholesale operation. The Gem Shop, Inc., retail shop will continue to operate in its Washington Avenue location.

From humble beginnings in the basement of the Mueller family home, to space in a multi-business cooperative in the family’s hometown of Cedarburg, to the long-time location on Washington Avenue, within Cedarburg’s Historic District, to the expansion of the business in a familiar and deeply historic locale, the journey of The Gem Shop, Inc., has been nothing short of a lesson in the value of collaboration, tenacity, faith, and appreciation for community on a familial and a global level.

Editor’s Note: Be sure to reserve your copy of the Rock & Gem 50th Anniversary Commemorative issue (available in mid-July) to enjoy a more in-depth exploration of Gene Mueller’s accomplishments and contributions to the rockhounding and lapidary community.

If you enjoyed what you’ve read here we invite you to consider signing up for the FREE Rock & Gem weekly newsletter. Learn more>>>

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The post The Gem Shop, Inc.: Evolution Through Ethical Operation first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Please submit a short explanation (no more than 250 words) about why you are nominating your favorite rock shop to be recognized. Please be sure to tell us the name of the shop and where it is located. Plus, your shop submission places you in the running to possibly receive a Rock & Gem 50th Celebration Prize Pack. Be sure to include your name and address, the name of the shop, the address, telephone number, and email, and if you have a photo or two of the shop, please include that as well. Submit this information by emailing Managing Editor Antoinette Rahn at arahn@beckett.com or send it via USPS to Rock & Gem c/o Antoinette Rahn 415 West Fulton St. #9, Waupaca, WI 54981.

DEADLINE DETAILS

The deadline for submitting your shop nomination is March 31, and the winner will be notified on April 5 and announced in a future issue of Rock & Gem. Plus, the shop nominations will be published in the Rock & Gem 50th Anniversary Commemorative issue.

PREORDER THE 50TH COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Rock & Gem, which we are celebrating all year long, we are producing a special commemorative issue. We’re including reader submissions about favorite rock shops, best show memory, most diverse and largest collection of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils, and favorite piece of lapidary equipment within the variety of articles in the special issue, among many other topics.

The R&G 50th anniversary commemorative issue will be available in the middle of July, but if you take advantage of our current preorder offer, you can enjoy free shipping (to U.S. addresses) on orders received by July 1 AND a free tote bag (for the first 150 people to preorder). Preorders and payment are being taken over the phone by Managing Editor Antoinette Rahn at 715-721-0532 or Advertising Executive Tracey Alvarez at 972-490-5212. Starting May 1, preorders will also be taken online at https://www.beckettmedia.com/rng-50th-anniversary.

The post What’s Your Favorite Rock Shop? Tell Us All About It! first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Think back to your 20th birthday; what were you doing? How did you celebrate?

Steve Ulatowski did something that would more or less “begin” a life based on a leap of faith; he started his business, New Era Gems. That was 43 years ago, and by most accounts, that leap of faith has paid off, explains his wife, Jennifer Ulatowski.

Given his early exposure to the fascinating world of rockhounding and mineralogy and its cast of many experts and characters, it makes sense why Steve would leap.

“From what he’s told me when he was six or seven years old, his family lived near Los Angeles, and he stayed at a summer camp, and the man who ran the camp was a rockhound,” Jennifer explained. “One day, while Steve was out looking for rocks, he saw a different looking boulder, so he rolled it back to camp where the man cut it for him, and they found agate.

“Years later, the wife of the man at the camp, whose husband had died, gave Steve a slab of that same rock he found, rolled back to camp, and the man cut. He still has that slab.”

Bit By the Rockhounding Bug

After that initial and life-changing introduction, Steve was hooked and hungry to

learn and see more. By the seasoned age of 11, Steve had created his first gem cut, which he named after a girl he was sweet on. Soon after, he was faceting to make a little money. An early entrepreneur, indeed. Since that time his journey has included hunting for rough in locales thousands of miles from home, while working side-by-side with miners and dealing with mine owners directly; selling at many gem shows throughout the year in all corners of the globe; cutting and carving when and where he can; and meeting new people who inevitably become old friends in no time, according to Jennifer.

Keeping that type of schedule takes a lot of coordination, patience, as well as a self-sufficient partner and team keeping things moving on the home front/home base, and Jennifer said she’s happy to be that person and support for her husband.

“I’ve known him since I was 16. He was good friends with my old boyfriend,” she said, laughing. “A group of us would all hang out together and go to Steve’s parties. Back then, his parties were famous.”

Adventures Around Every Corner

It was just three years after meeting Steve that a 19-year-old Jennifer found herself en route to Tanzania to meet Steve. By that time, he had been traveling to that area of Africa as a primary element of his gemstone business for years. Little did she know that trip would be yet another memorable experience in life with Steve.

“Steve had arranged with my dad to get me to Africa where he was working, and we got engaged at Mount Kilimanjaro — it was incredible,” Jennifer recalled. “We’ve been together 33 years and married since 1994. I love him more every day.”

One thing life is not for the Ulatowski clan, which includes Steve’s children from other relationships and Steve and Jennifer’s daughter, as well as New Era Gems staff who are also family, is boring. Over the years, Jennifer explained, she’d never know what she’d find cooking on the stove in her house. Once she came into the kitchen to see something boiling away in one of her Calphalon pots, and when she asked Steve what it was, he replied, amethyst. In her good Calphalon pot, she exclaimed. Another not-so-boring aspect is the shortage of soap in the Ulatowski household. This is because Steve uses soap bars to develop cuts and do a practice run of a carving before he carves a rock.

On the home front, which is also the headquarters of New Era Gems, in Grass Valley, California, business operations and coordination of activities is ongoing, including fulfillment of orders from the online shop (www.neweragems.com/shop). Plus, there is the rock, 72 tons, give or take a few tons, on-site, as well as the decorative yard that Jennifer and a few staff members design and maintain.

“I have a nice setup. It’s welcoming to people who come by appointment to buy stone and see Steve when he is home,” she said. “I put a lot of rocks in the yard and use rocks to create art. It appeals to people, especially kids, when they come with their parents. Right now, I’m working on a pond bordered by ruby, zoisite, with quartz.”

Grateful to Work With Rock

Little more than a year ago, the idea that Jennifer would be working on a decorative pond on their property was just a dream and a near impossibility. After suffering a serious accident, Jennifer suffered near-complete shutdown of multiple organs, was in a coma for some time, and discovered some memory loss and motor skill issues upon waking. Following multiple surgeries, an extensive physical and occupational therapy schedule, and help from family and friends, Jennifer continues on her road to recovery.

“Everything in life is a learning experience. It makes you humble,” she said. “I am so lucky to be here and to have my family. Once I’m fully better, stronger, and shows are happening again, I can’t wait to join Steve and our team at shows again.”

The other part of that equation is Steve returning home from Thailand, where he’s

been since just after the 2020 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February. Due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has not been able to enter the U.S., and it looks like he’ll be there a few more months yet, Jennifer said. In some ways, it’s been positive, as Steve can do a lot of his business there and then ship the material he buys back to the U.S.

Whether it’s amethyst boiling in a pot on the stove, Jennifer sneaking into the workshop to watch Steve as he carves a stone, the duo on the road attending shows, or on separate continents doing business as New Era Gems, the Ulatowskis, as Jennifer said, count themselves blessed to be living and doing what they love.

The post New Era Gems: Carving a Path and Creating a Legacy first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

By Antoinette Rahn

Pioneer, innovator, groundbreaker, trailblazer, and vanguard are some of the words that describe someone who introduces something new or makes an inspiring change. Robert Yorke-Hardy, his late wife, Alana, and three sons, Chris, Mike and Matt, embodies these words, with their history-making opal operation in British Columbia, Canada.

Yes, that’s right, Canada. While it may not be one of the most prominent opal locales, it is undoubtedly a nation rich in mineral resources, most specifically its renowned diamond mines. However, the perspective of Canada’s mineralogical diversity is evolving, as “Canada is once again proving to be a land of hidden riches and infinite opportunity,” explained Robert Yorke-Hardy.

Doing business as Opal Resources Canada Inc. (ORCI) formally since 1997, and previously as part of a collaboration, the focus of ORCI’s efforts has been to introduce the world to Canada’s precious opal gemstones and get the material into the hands of as many people as possible. Not only has the company been successful in these endeavors over the past 20-plus years, but ORCI remains a trailblazer. Yorke-Hardy explained that the company was the first in Canada to commercially produce precious opal gemstones and precious opal jewelry created from opal mined in the firm’s British Columbia, Canada locale. Plus, ORCI was the first to commercially market British Columbia precious opal jewelry through a company owned and operated retail shop and develop the domestic and international distribution of the precious opal gemstones and jewelry produced in Canada.

It’s not all about hockey and maple syrup in Canada, and those in the mineral and gemstone market are benefitting.

As one might suspect, it was the presence of play-of-color in clear opal rough that prompted those involved in the Klinker claims’ initial prospecting, in the early 1990s, to start thinking about precious opal. According to Yorke-Hardy, more claims were staked and explored, with the original company he was involved in, Okanagan Opal Inc., researching the viability and economic potential. In 2008, the property and operation were acquired solely by Opal Resources Canada Inc., and opal mining, jewelry creation, and fee digging opportunities formed the day-to-day operation at ORCI.

Facing Challenges and Opportunities With Patience and Innovation

As is the case with any business or personal endeavor, there have been challenges, losses, and times when Yorke-Hardy and his family have had to pivot and tap into their innovative minds to persevere. Today, Chris oversees jewelry production, while Mike manages online sales, and Matt and Robert continue to explore and maintain mineral operations.

Over the years, opal digging trips to the Klinker deposit and sale of columnar basalt from the company’s large claim block to the landscaping industry have been significant revenue streams for ORCI, Yorke-Hardy explained. In light of stay-at-home orders, closures, and travel restrictions during 2020, ORCI saw saw fewer basalt sales and dig trip participants in early summer, but picked up in mid-summer and extended into early October. Still, with opal taking center stage during October and the holiday season rapidly approaching, Yorke-Hardy and the team are optimistic and grateful for the time of reflection they’ve had during the uncommon and unexpected twists and turns of 2020.

“(For me) it’s been back to the basics of focusing on family and organizing thoughts and actions to increase production,” Yorke-Hardy said. “Also, Chris has had a chance to reflect on what his main goals in life are.”

Despite the common challenges that accompany mining and operating a business, the same level of innovation and passion, which fueled the Yorke-Hardy family’s first steps toward an opal operation all those years ago, remains a significant part of their foundation moving into the future.

“ORCI is a vital part of British Columbia’s potentially promising opal Industry. Given the right opportunities, (we) feel history will prove this burgeoning British Columbia industry to be world-class,” said Yorke-Hardy.

For More Information

Visit: www.opalscanada.com
Email: okopal@uniserve.com
Call: 250-542-5173 or 250-558-9135
Mail a Letter: PO Box 298, Vernon, B.C. V1T 6M2

The post Catching Up With Opal Mining Trailblazers first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

By Antoinette Rahn

There are numerous illustrations of the 17th-century phrase, “One good turn deserves another.” By most accounts, it appears Dr. Rob Lavinsky’s life is one such example.

The “one good turn” that inspired Lavinsky, owner and founder of The Arkenstone Gallery of Fine Minerals, to take the path he has and mindfully do countless “good turns” in response, took place in Ohio during the mid-1980s.

“I was introduced to minerals at the age of 12 through the Columbus, Ohio, Rock & Mineral Society (www.columbusrockandmineralsociety.org), and was fortunate to have many generous mentors there,” said Lavinsky. “The club adopted me, taught me, let me into the library they shared. It was immersion immediately! Without such mentors, I would never have entered the hobby.”

Fueling an Early Interest

It’s safe to assume, more than a few people with a keen interest in rocks, gemstones, minerals, and fossils are also grateful to the members of the Columbus mineral club for introducing Lavinsky to these remarkable fields of natural science. The influence, education, and encouragement of Columbus mineral club members Carlton Davis and John Medici inspired and equipped Lavinsky to become a part-time mineral dealer by the time he was 14. The learning also included working with and for seasoned field collectors Neal and Chris Pfaff throughout his junior high and high school years. The afterschool and summer job allowed Lavinsky to amass a personal collection and develop an inventory to sell.

While he was in college studying for a career in genetic engineering, he formed what would become his career purpose, The Arkenstone. Initially, as Lavinsky explained, he saw it as a way to do something he enjoyed and pay his way through college while studying for a career in medical research. Just as he had in his youth, Lavinsky forged ahead, taking “the road less traveled” by incorporating email swap/sell lists, as early as 1991.

Ultimately, he created one of the largest and earliest (1996) websites featuring an inventory of gem, mineral, and fossil specimens. During this time, he continued to buy and sell at mineral shows, including the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®, where he became a “Main Show” dealer, a position he continues to enjoy 30-plus years later.

Transforming a Passionate Interest Into a Profession

Lavinsky, balancing business, and graduate studies, successfully earned a Ph. D. in Molecular Genetics. Upon completing his studies — while awaiting the birth of his first child — he debated pursuing a career in biotechnology or becoming a full-time mineral dealer. As Lavinsky explained, either path would have been fulfilling and, in the ensuing years, have both significantly contributed to his life.

“I could have gone into science and enjoyed it. But, playing with nature’s beauty always warred with a real job choice, and won out in the end,” said the life-long collector. Interestingly, it’s Lavinsky’s fascination with fossils that serves as a point of connection with opals. As he explained, when opal replaces a mineral or fossil, which illustrates a combining of the gem world with that of natural history, the synergy of the two is most amazing.

He went on to say, “I do not regret being a scientist or the years of training to think a certain way. I believe it helps me appreciate nature more and be better at what I do (more organized, and more disciplined on the business side.)”

Lavinsky’s analytical mindset, preparedness, and profoundly inquisitive personality is at the core of his business operations, which is a significant benefit during uncertain and unusual times, such as 2020.

“My business was vertical, not just high or low-price range, and so I am luckily prepared for these strange times,” commented Lavinsky, who employs a team of 14 people, including staff in China responsible for sourcing, and actively buying specimens daily. “I have five years of inventory amassed, a great team here in Dallas, and a large customer base to show good things to.”

He went on to say, “After Sept. 11, 2001, and the 2008-2009 crashes, minerals and the mineral collecting game exploded on the other side within two years. I expect it will do so again with the organic growth of new collectors and customers, which is great news for all of us!”

Keeping the Client Top of Mind

In addition to remaining optimistic, flexible, and proactive, and engaged with clients and the mineral collecting community at large, Lavinsky and his team pay close attention to what can be learned during these times. Among the most important aspects of the business that The Arkenstone team keeps top of mind are the clients.

“The collector comes first. Build and help build collections the way we would want to, as collectors ourselves – my core team is ONLY made up of people who are collectors or from collecting families. We are drinking the same juice,” Lavinsky explained. “I want to build collections over decades – we are best with the serious collectors who want long-term relationships, not the fly-by-night folks who just want to buy pretty rocks out of a rock shop.”

Whether he’s traveling to China, working with employees on various projects, buying, selling, exhibiting and speaking at shows, or serving as sponsor and host of the Dallas Mineral Collecting Symposium (DallasSymposium.org), which is now in its tenth year and takes place the end of August, Lavinsky strives to give back to the mineral community that did so much for him, and continually do “one good turn.”

For More Information

Visit: www.irocks.com
Email: info@irocks.com
Call: 972-437-2492
Mail a Letter: PO Box 830460 Richardson, TX 75083

The post Getting to Know the Mind Behind The Arkenstone first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

From the Editor: We are connecting with our regular advertisers during this time of self-quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to learn how they are spending this time, discover more about them and their business.

With more than 30 years’ professional experience in the gem and mineral industry, and 17 years doing business as John E. Garsow Gems & Minerals, this Southern California-based company is well-known within the gem and mineral show circuit. It serves the rockhounding and lapidary community through its online store and selling a variety of inventory (in non-quarantine times) at more than 30 shows each year. 

The business was initially formed as a vehicle to supply the best facet rough possible, owner John E. Garsow explained. Then came high-quality gem mineral specimens, faceted gems, cabbing materials, and ultimately rocks, gems, and minerals of all sorts, varieties, and price ranges. 

“As our inventory grew, we decided we needed to reach more clientele and expanded into the gem and mineral show circuit,” Garsow said. “We really weren’t expecting the response we received. Within a very short time we were selling up to 30 shows a year coast-to-coast. To say it kept us busy would be an understatement. Exhausted is more like it.”

Keeping Virtually Connected is Priority

That changed when self-quarantining and lockdown measures took effect in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, Garsow and company have made it a priority to regularly keep in touch with the clients they meet with at shows. The outreach gives them the chance to check on people who are not only customers but have become friends. In some instances, Garsow said, it’s also resulted in his company being able to provide supplies for people using their mail order and website order and shipment process to fulfill needs. Also, visitors to the website (www.johngarsow.com) will see sale prices on the entire inventory.

“Yes, it’s slower, yet it’s uncertain,” Garsow said. “But so far, sheltering in place has had its upsides, too.”

Among the upsides, Garsow added, is more time with family, time to read, a much slower day-to-day pace, a reduction in expenses, and the opportunity to relax. “Oh, and the air quality is the best that it’s been here in So Cal since the invention of the horseless carriage,” he said.

Viewing Every Day as An Opportunity and a Gift

We asked Garsow a few additional questions to learn more about his business, sources of inspiration, and overall commitment to supporting the rockhounding and lapidary community.

Rock & Gem: Who or what is one of the greatest sources of inspiration for you, and why?

John E. Garsow: My grandfather was my inspiration to get involved in the rock and gem world back in 1957. He had a small rock shop in Saginaw, Minnesota, and used to take us kids out agate picking along the roads and in the gravel pits during summer vacations. He would send us home with baby food jars of tumbled Lake Superior agates and thomsonites.

RG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

JG: As for the best piece of advice I have ever received, it’s hard to say, but the best piece of advice I can give is “Failure is a great teacher.” if you don’t get it right the first time, get back up, dust yourself off and get back on the horse.

RG: What is one thing for which you are most grateful?

JG: I am most grateful for family and friends.

RG: Think back to when you were a child, what was one of your favorite things to do, and what made it special?

JG: Go rock collecting…what else?

Get In Touch With John E. Garsow Gems & Minerals 

Online: www.johngarsow.com
Phone: 804-642-2011
Email: johngarsow@sysmatrix.net

The post Business Spotlight: John E. Garsow Gems & Minerals first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

From the Editor: We are connecting with our regular advertisers during this time of self-quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to learn how they are spending this time, discover more about them and their business.

Minnesota Lapidary Supply (M.L.S) has a 50-plus year history and a familiar name within the rockhounding and lapidary community. For the past 16 years, Val B. Carver, known widely as “The Rock Man,” has owned and operated what he calls a “lapidary general store,” mail order, and online operation. M.L.S is paired with Carver’s walk-in rock shop, ROCKS and Things, which has been in operation for 21 years.

Carver’s tandem business shares the building at the corner of 2^nd St. North and the memorable Rum River Dr. North, in Princeton, Minnesota. A native of Tennessee, Carver ventured into the profession of rock, mineral, lapidary and related equipment sales 25 years ago, as a second life career, if you will. Prior to his entrepreneurial venture, he made his living as a chemist and chemical engineer. As stated above, now this formally educated chemist is known in Minnesota and beyond, as “The Rock Man.”

Chemist to Rock Man

During this time of quarantine and lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carver, like some other mineral and lapidary business owners, is grateful to have a retail walk-in business and a mail-order/manufacturing business. Although ROCKS and Things is closed during this time of quarantine, the mail order business remains fully operational, Carver said.

“We still have income coming in from the mail-order/manufacturing side of the business. In fact, I have seen this (type) of weird event three times before, concerning our business. When the economy hits the skids, we do well.”

With the current lockdown marking the fourth time he’s seen this type of activity during a time of uncertainty and the like, Carver said: “I think I understand it, and the best part of the business is digging rocks for it!”

Turning a Life-Long Passion Into a Rewarding Profession

We asked Carver a few additional questions to learn more about his business, personality, and overall commitment to supporting the rockhounding and lapidary community.

Rock & Gem: Who or what is one of the greatest sources of inspiration for you, and why?

Val B. Carver: I guess the source of my loving rocks goes back to my father. When I was a kid, in the 1960s, he dug Indian artifacts, and I joined him on many digs. We were digging things made of rocks. The lesson I learned during these digs was, what magnificent craftsmen the people (of the time) were.

RG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

VC: It wasn’t so much a single piece of advice, but from my studies of chemistry and engineering, (I learned) the logic and basic structure of nature and the universe — call it the scientific method. Then there is the old adage, “you don’t get something for nothing, good things come to those that work hard.” Like DIGGING ROCKS.

RG: What is one thing for which you are most grateful?

VC: I am most grateful for my wife (married 43 years), two children in good health, and having a business I love.

RG: Think back to when you were a child, what was one of your favorite things to do, and what made it special?

VC: When I was a child, I was crazy about collecting rocks. I still remember, now at age 65, that as a child of four in Tennessee, I’d be dragging rocks home and asking my parents what they were. Questions like: Why was this rock blue, and this one green, etc. I still have a few of the rocks (I collected then) still in my collection.

Get In Touch With Minnesota Lapidary Supply 

Online: lapidarysupplies.com
Phone: 763-631-0405
Email: sales@lapidarysupplies.com
ROCKS and Things: https://www.rocksandthings.com

The post Business Spotlight: Minnesota Lapidary Supply and ROCKS and Things first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

From the Editor: We are connecting with our regular advertisers during this time of self-quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to learn how they are spending this time, discover more about them and their business.

Decades-Long History of Show Promotion

If you’ve attended a mineral show, not sponsored by a club, in Virginia Beach and Richmond, Virginia, Raleigh, North Carolina, or Ocean City, Maryland, it’s very possible you’ve experienced a Treasures of the Earth show.

The business itself has served the rockhounding, lapidary, and mineralogical community for nearly 40 years. Since 2014, Jane Westbrook and Ellen White have owned and operated this iconic mineral show.

With the lockdown restrictions and quarantine protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Treasures of the Earth show schedule is on hold at present. However, as Ellen White explained, their team is continuing to keep in touch with vendors and customers via Facebook and other communication methods.

Holding to Hope

“(We) look forward to resuming shows, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future,” White said.

Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Treasures of the Earth was seeing an active, energetic, and encouraging market among the vendors with whom they work. Many vendors returned from the start-of-the-year buying trips to Tucson with a lot of great new merchandise, according to White. Among the highlights are rare finds in gems, mineral specimens, as well as stunning custom-crafted jewelry and Tahitian pearls and gemstone beads.

“Jane and I can’t wait to see all of these new and exciting pieces,” said White. “Our shows also include wire-wrapped designs, gorgeous gemstone trees, a large selection of fossils, and beautifully custom-crafted snow globes featuring carefully selected minerals.”

As the Treasures of the Earth staff work to prepare for the day when people are able to gather together once again and attend events like mineral and gem shows, they urge all to follow recommended measures to prevent the spread of the virus and stay connected.

Get In Touch With Treasures of the Earth

Online: www.TreasuresOfTheEarth.com
Phone: 804-642-2011
Email: Ellen@treasuresoftheearth.com

The post Business Spotlight: Treasures of the Earth first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.