Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 10, 2026) - The Arkenstone and its exhibition division, Gallery of Natural Art (GNA), are proud to announce their collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) on Unearthed: Raw Beauty, a landmark exhibition that reimagines the traditional mineral gallery by presenting exceptional natural mineral specimens as works of fine art.
Open through April 18, 2027, Unearthed: Raw Beauty features more than 150 exceptional mineral specimens, complemented by gemstones, carvings, jewelry, and interactive displays that together explore the beauty, science, and cultural significance of the mineral world. Many of the specimens are on public display for the first time, including spectacular California gold, monumental Chinese azurites, giant aquamarines, world-class fluorites, and remarkable crystals of copper and silver.
Developed jointly by Gallery of Natural Art and NHMLAC, the exhibition presents a fresh approach to mineral interpretation by combining museum-quality scientific content with contemporary exhibition design. Rather than presenting minerals solely as geological specimens, Unearthed invites visitors to experience them as natural works of art while discovering the geological processes that created them and the stories they tell about Earth's history.
Gallery of Natural Art worked closely with NHMLAC's exhibition team to develop the exhibition concept, object selection, bilingual interpretive content, exhibition design, and display layouts. The resulting exhibition uses immersive graphics, custom casework, bilingual English and Spanish interpretation, and carefully designed lighting to guide visitors from the geological environments where crystals form deep within the Earth to California's mineral heritage, the centuries-old tradition of Chinese gemstone carving, and modern laboratories where scientists grow crystals that echo nature's own designs, revealing how science, art, and design converge in the natural world.
The exhibition is accompanied by the full-colour hardcover book Unearthed: Raw Beauty, published by The Arkenstone and authored by Robert A. Lavinsky, Stuart Mills, and Monica Kitt, with contributions from Eugene Meieran and Aaron Celestian. The 127-page volume expands upon the exhibition through detailed photography and essays exploring the specimens, their geological origins, and the philosophy behind presenting minerals as fine art.
Photo inside UNEARTHED: Raw Beauty at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. M. Kitt Photo for The Arkenstone
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Exhibition Details
- What: Unearthed: Raw Beauty
- Where: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
- When: Open until April 18, 2027; open daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Admission: Free with general admission; free for NHMLAC Members
- More information: nhm.org/unearthed-rare-mineral-exhibition | galleryofnaturalart.com/unearthed
About The Arkenstone
Founded by Dr. Robert Lavinsky in Dallas, Texas, The Arkenstone (iRocks.com) is one of the world's leading fine mineral dealers, with galleries in Dallas and Shanghai. Since pioneering online mineral sales in the mid-1990s, the company has built a global reputation for connecting collectors, researchers, and museums with rare and museum-quality mineral specimens, and for championing minerals as both scientific specimens and fine art.
About Gallery of Natural Art
Gallery of Natural Art (GNA) is a subsidiary of The Arkenstone specializing in the design, curation, and presentation of mineral and natural history exhibitions for museums and institutions, blending scientific accuracy with fine-art sensibility.
About the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) is part of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, which also includes La Brea Tar Pits. NHMLAC is located at 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007.
Media Contact
Stuart Mills Gallery of Natural Art stuart@iRocks.com
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Source: The Arkenstone Ltd.
