Larimar: Caribbean's Rare, Blue Gem the Atlantis Stone

Jan 5, 2011
Claire Eddins

Larimar pendant with sterling silver - cltphoto

Resembling heavenly, sky-blue turquoise, Larimar is a scarce and desirable gemstone used for jewelry, gem collections and the stone's reputed power to heal.

Beautiful, ocean-blue Larimar is only sourced from Hispaniola and the Bahamas in the Caribbean, making it a most rare gemstone. One famous American psychic is said to link the stone to the legendary lost land of Atlantis. Also, metaphysical experts claim Larimar is one of the best healing stones to be had. Regardless, whether one believes in the gem's unique history or its special powers, Larimar makes a delightful, durable, and most attractive jewelry stone.

The lovely blue gemstone, created and unearthed by volcanic activity, was reportedly known and collected for years by locals living in the coastal province of Barahona, on the island of the Dominican Republic. According to sources at the Larimar Museum in Santo Domingo, it is unclear whether ancient native peoples used the stone; however, it is possible that the stone was known to natives, and perhaps visitors to the island, including world explorer Christopher Columbus.

Larimar Comes From Remote Mountains

Surfacing from the earth high in remote mountains of the Bahoruco Range, over time, volcanic material naturally washes downstream in the Bahoruco River of the Dominican Republic to lower lying areas and island beaches. This is how and where Larimar stones were first "officially" discovered.

Larimar's international introduction did not come until after 1974 when two men on a beach, Dominican Miguel Mendez and American Norman Rilling, stumbled upon a small blue stone of a type that the modern world outside Barahona had never seen before. The men hunted and followed similar little blue stones upstream into the mountains about 10 kilometers above Barahona city. Today, most Larimar continues to come from this remote area.

Blue Larimar Variety Brings Respect to Pectolite Gems

The newly recognized, distinctive, blue variety of the hydorthermal mineral pectolite was given the name Larimar by Mendez. He combined his daughter's name, Larissa, with the Spanish word for sea, "mar," to create what is now commonly known as the trade name for blue pectolite.

Soon after it became known, the sky-blue stone resembling turquoise was embraced by gemologists and collectors. Opinions regarding the worth of pectolite as a gem and jewelry stone changed from something near-worthless to something quite desirable and marketable. Today, although beautiful Larimar gemstones may only be sourced from a small and remote area, Larimar jewelry and gems are available for purchase around the world.

Larimar Looks Like Turquoise

Pectolite, Larimar's geologic name, is found in cavities of basaltic and andesitic rocks. Named for its "compact structure," the term pectolite is derived from the Greek "pektos" meaning congealed or "well put together," according to the Smithsonian book, Rock and Gem by Ronald Louis Bonewitz (DK Publishing). Excluding the blue Larimar variety, pectolite is most often a non-distinctive gray or white color.

Barbara Smigel, PhD, GG, and former owner of Artistic Colored Stones, writes in her online Gem of the Month tutorial, "Pectolites are hydrated silicaeous secondary minerals containing sodium and calcium, found in volcanic deposits (and alluvium washed from them)." In the case of Larimar, she writes, "copper impurities, and replacement of some of the calcium with cobalt accounts for varying blue hues, which range from light to medium dark sometimes with a hint of green." She adds that most stones are "mottled with an attractive honeycomb pattern of lighter and darker blues."

Describing Larimar in the book Firefly Guide to Gems, (Firefly), author Cally Oldershaw pens that the blue gemstone "often has a white spider-veined appearance." She adds that Larimar looks like turquoise, and is popular for many jewelry items, including some modern native American pieces.

Best Larimar is Perfect for Jewelry

Most Larimar for sale is set into silver jewelry. However, high-grade Larimar may be set into yellow or white gold as well. The gem's color and type make it quite distinctive.The best Larimar gems are colored robin's egg blue and are extremely dense with the toughness of jade, says Smigel. The gem's beauty, toughness, and ability to achieve an extremely high polish make it a worthy gemstone suitable for jewelry. Smigel only cautions about wearing Larimar in daily-wear rings.

In the classic publication, Gemstones of the World, Fourth Edition by Walter Schumann (published by Sterling), the author writes that Larimar is popular as a baroque or drum stone which is rounded and finished on all sides by tumbling and polishing. Easy to polish, these finished, oddly shaped, smoothed stones are perfect for costume jewelry. "In the trade, these are known as baroque stones," writes Schumann.

Also, Schumann asserts that although energetic powers of stones have not been "scientifically proved," baroque stones like Larimar, "the so-called fondling-stones that are held in the hand, or carried in a pocket" are popular as healing stones.

Larimar Considered to be a Superior Healing Stone

One needs just a quick survey across the internet to confirm Larimar's presence as a highly-desired gem for its metaphysical properties. In fact, many people consider Larimar to be one of the best all-around metaphysical stones available.

Larimar is associated with the throat and heart chakras, empowerment of the third eye and crown, speech, communication and creativity. As an energy stone, Larimar is said to enhance natural energy while neutralizing negative energies. Many claim it reduces anxiety and brings calm, clarity, and peace to the wearer. Also, Larimar is said to draw soul mates together and release negativity between couples.

Larimar Known as Atlantis Stone and Dolphin Stone

Famous American psychic Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), who believed that the fabled, lost land of Atlantis would rise again during the 20th century, also predicted that a "blue healing stone" would be found on a Caribbean island, just as Larimar was discovered. Although there are conflicting accounts, many sources contend that Cayce believed the blue healing stone was present during the time of Atlantis, and that finding the blue stone would offer proof of the ancient, lost land's existence.

Today, some psychic followers claim Larimar enables them to feel ancient energies and enlightenment sourcing from the lost civilization of Atlantis. It is thought that the connection to the fabled Atlantis earned Larimar the nick-name of "Atlantis Stone."

Also, to many people, Larimar is known as the "Dolphin Stone." It is not clear exactly why; however, the stone's ocean blue color and link to the Caribbean where dolphins live; its association with human communication and man's unique communication link with dolphins; and the longtime-association between dolphins and Atlantis may all play roles in the "Dolphin Stone" moniker.

Rare Larimar Gems are a Bargain and Could be Highly Collectible

According to Smigel, with regard to pricing, "compared to turquoise, Larimar is a bargain." She continues to write that the more strong and pure the blue color, the higher the price.

With regard to physical properties, "the degree of compactness is important," writes Smigel. In addition, "the fineness of polish on the finished stone," is to be considered. "Large pieces are also at a premium. Lower quality pieces are often very light or grayish with large areas of white or reddish matrix."

Because mountainside mining conditions where Larimar is found are primitive and very hazardous, Smigel contends that constant supplies of the gem are not assured for the future. This fact, coupled with the stones limited, single source, along with the gem's desirable physical properties, could make the gemstones quite collectible in the future.