Robert Lavinsky is a lifelong lover of natural beauty, former molecular geneticist, and owns one of the largest galleries in the world within the emerging art class of Fine Minerals (based in Dallas, Texas). His private collection of Chinese minerals was assembled with a focus on representing the breadth of beautiful minerals from one country, relating them to culture and civilization. The mineral Lavinskyite was named after him by a NASA-affiliated laboratory (2013). Rob is founder of iRocks.com, the Dallas Mineral Collecting Symposium; and author of the book, China Crystalline Treasures.