Larimar: the Captivating Gemstone Found Only in the Caribbean

Also called “Stefilia’s Stone”, larimar is a rare blue semi-precious stone. It can only be found in one place in the entire world: the Caribbean. In addition, it has appeared on only one island– the Dominican Republic.

It is a rare type of silicate mineral pectolite with blue coloration. Pectolite can be found in many places all over the world. However, larimar is unique because of its color, the result of copper being substituted for calcium under volcanic activity. It forms in rocky cavities in the mountains southwest of Barahona.

The story of larimar

According to the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Mining records, a priest named Miguel Domingo Fuertes Loren may have been the first to discover this unique stone. On November 22nd of 2016, he requested permission to mine a “blue rock” that he had discovered. His request was denied. Fuentes was a well-known botanist and geologist, and at least 35 plant species bare his name.

At the time, pectolites were still unknown in the Dominican Republic. It wasn’t until 1974 that larimar would gain any recognition. A Peace Corps volunteer named Norman Rilling and his pal Miguel Mendez, a native Dominican, came across pieces of blue stone while walking on a beach near the Bahoruco Mountain Range. Thinking that it originated from the sea, they named it “larimar” after Miguel’s daughter Larissa, and “mar”, the Spanish word for “sea”.

In reality, neither Fuertes nor Mendez and Rilling actually discovered the gemstone. Locals had been aware of it for many years, having collected it on the beach. They called it simply “the blue stone”. Legends say that the stone helps one connect with his or her “divine self”.

Larimar in jewelry

You may not believe that larimar holds the power to heal. But there’s no denying that this semi-precious stone reflects the beauty of the Caribbean in a powerful way! Its blue-green, turquoise, or light blue coloring is strikingly similar to that of the Caribbean Sea.

It’s no wonder that locals and tourists alike enjoy wearing the stone in pendants and bracelets, since it embodies the colors of the sea and sky. It is most often set in silver, but it’s occasionally paired with gold. Some people like to wear larimar jewelry or place the stones in their pockets in order to take advantage of its supposed healing properties. Others wear it simply for its beauty. Some naturalists use the stone in holistic healing methods.

Legends of the “Atlantis stone”

Before the peculiar blue rock was officially discovered, an American medium named Edgar Cayce proclaimed that a blue stone from the lost empire of Atlantis would one day appear on a Caribbean island, bringing with it incredible healing powers. He believed that many of the Caribbean islands, including the Dominican Republic, were once part of Atlantis. Although larimar was not discovered until after Cayce’s death, many of his followers saw the stone as the fulfillment of his prophecies.

Where to buy larimar

Support small and local businesses in the Caribbean buy purchasing larimar from the Dominican Republic and the surrounding islands. However, if you can’t take a Caribbean vacation this year, you can purchase jewelry and other objects from the Larimar Factory online.

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