Frequently asked questions.

Lithos is for professional businesses in the mineral trade: mines, exporters, importers, wholesalers, manufacturers, lapidary workshops, retail dealers, fossil preparers and museums. Individuals trading as a business are welcome; anonymous accounts are not.

Most applications are reviewed within two working days. If your organisation uses a domain-matched Google Workspace account, approval can be instant. Manual reviews may ask for a registry document, domain confirmation or industry reference.

There is currently no charge to join Lithos or to maintain a verified profile. Where Lithos processes a payment for a transaction, a 1% platform fee applies to the transaction value; the fee is paid by the seller. Payment processing between members is not currently live.

Yes, once your organisation is verified. Only sellers set prices. You can also respond to published buyer requirements.

A buyer posts what they need — material, quantity, delivery terms and budget. Sellers with matching material can propose an introduction. The buyer sees only the information the seller chooses to share until they accept the introduction.

Lithos does not process payments between members. Buyers and sellers agree payment terms directly and settle between themselves, outside the platform. Lithos does not hold funds, does not provide escrow and is not a party to your contract of sale.

A deal room is the private space both organisations share after an introduction is accepted. You can message each other, share documents and sample details, record the agreed price, and follow the status of the transaction through to completion. Records stay available to both organisations inside the room.

No. Your existing commercial relationships remain private. Lithos only introduces new contacts when both parties give explicit permission.

A level reflects what we have verified: the named person behind the account, the organisation's registration and business domain, and the trade roles it has evidenced. Levels are reviewed by our team — they cannot be purchased, and they are not derived from trading history.

Either party can contact us. We can provide the record held on the platform — messages, agreed terms and status history — and we keep any evidence you submit on file. Lithos does not hold funds, does not arbitrate, does not decide legal liability and does not refund or compensate any party. Resolution remains between the two businesses, and you should take your own legal advice where needed.

Verified members can request deletion from the Account page. We apply a 30-day grace period in case of tax or trade-record obligations, after which personal data is removed in line with our privacy policy.

Yes. Write to hello@lithosmarket.com and we will provide a copy of the personal and organisation data we hold for you.