Meet the Curator

Joun — Curator & Specimen Experience Architect

Joun is the curator behind EARTH RIVER.

He selects mineral specimens not only for rarity or textbook perfection, but for the way each piece presents itself in real space — its form, transparency, surface, color, balance, and presence when placed in a room.

Before working with minerals, Joun spent many years as a graphic designer, including at Square Enix.

That background shaped the way he looks at objects today: not simply as isolated specimens, but as forms that interact with light, surroundings, and the viewer.

At EARTH RIVER, each specimen is considered individually.

Some are chosen for clarity or crystal structure.
Others may stand out because of an unusual surface, subtle color, natural imperfection, or simply the way the piece feels visually complete as an object.

Joun also writes or supervises many of the descriptions found throughout the store.

When his name appears on a product page, it indicates a personal observation, selection reason, or impression based on the actual specimen rather than a generic description of the mineral species.

EARTH RIVER is built around a simple idea:

A mineral specimen should not only be collected.

It should also be seen, placed, and experienced as part of a space.

Joun continues to select specimens with that perspective in mind.