James Zigras is an American collector that has amassed several important collections of minerals and gems. His company James Zigras LLC offers appraisals and consulting on mineral specimens as well as gemstones and he is considered one of the top experts in the field. James is President and owner of Avant Mining LLC which is the worlds largest crystal mining company with over 11,400 acres and 22 mines. The majority of what is mined is quartz crystals. Avant also mines wavellite and Arkansas turquoise.
James works with some of the most prominent names in Jewelery and fashion as a consultant on special projects and gem materials. He was recently featured in Vanity Fair France on his collaborations with David Yurman. He partnered with legendary musician, artist, and hollywood composer Mark Mothersbaugh to carve the worlds largest ruby into an soft serve ice cream cone which has been shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and is currently on exhibit at the Grey Museum in Mark Mothersbaugh's Retrospective Show in Manhattan. New artist collaborations and installation projects will be announced shortly.
Several of his collections are at museums, universities and research facilities around the world. His fossilized amber collection housed at the American Museum of Natural History for research purposes is considered the most important private collection ever assembled. This collection contains nearly eight thousand specimens and has contributed over one thousand new species of life to science. His collection from Mont St. Hilaire mines in Canada is the finest known outside of Canada and contains over ten thousand specimens. One of the most prominent universities in the US has over 500 specimens from James in their permanent collection. He has several of his specimens at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. New species of life forms have been named in his honor as well as the mineral Zigrasite, which he discovered.
James works with some of the most prominent names in Jewelery and fashion as a consultant on special projects and gem materials. He was recently featured in Vanity Fair France on his collaborations with David Yurman. He partnered with legendary musician, artist, and hollywood composer Mark Mothersbaugh to carve the worlds largest ruby into an soft serve ice cream cone which has been shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and is currently on exhibit at the Grey Museum in Mark Mothersbaugh's Retrospective Show in Manhattan. New artist collaborations and installation projects will be announced shortly.
Several of his collections are at museums, universities and research facilities around the world. His fossilized amber collection housed at the American Museum of Natural History for research purposes is considered the most important private collection ever assembled. This collection contains nearly eight thousand specimens and has contributed over one thousand new species of life to science. His collection from Mont St. Hilaire mines in Canada is the finest known outside of Canada and contains over ten thousand specimens. One of the most prominent universities in the US has over 500 specimens from James in their permanent collection. He has several of his specimens at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. New species of life forms have been named in his honor as well as the mineral Zigrasite, which he discovered.