Robert Lavinsky, PhD Biochemistry (UCSD), was a crystal collector from the age of 12. He first started participating in mineral shows at the age of 14. He initially planned a career in molecular genetics but his passion for minerals led to a career change, founding www.iRocks.com in 1996. Since then, he has been a full-time mineral dealer and educator (particularly in China and online) and recently had the new mineral, Lavinskyite, named after him.