Natural Larimar
Larimar is a blue variety of pectolite, a sodium calcium silicate (NaCa2Si3O8(OH)), found in only one mountainous region of the Dominican Republic. Its color ranges from soft sky blue to deeper volcanic blue, usually patterned with white in swirling, cloud-like shapes. With a Mohs hardness of 4.5 to 5 it is a soft stone, best suited to pendants and earrings.
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Gemstone guide
Natural Larimar
About larimar
Larimar comes from a small area in the Bahoruco mountains in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. It became known to the wider world in the 1970s, and its name combines Larissa, the daughter of one of the men who promoted it, with mar, Spanish for sea. Pectolite itself is common, usually white or grey, but blue pectolite of this kind has been found only in the Dominican Republic. Larimar is not treated.
What you'll find in this collection
Our larimar comes from the Dominican Republic and is untreated. You'll find round cabochons of about 8 to 9 carats, in sky blue with white patterning, suited to pendants, earrings and rings worn with care.
How to recognise larimar
Larimar's fibrous structure gives it a silky look, and its blue is broken by white and sometimes greenish patches in patterns that look like light on water or clouds in the sky. Its pattern and its pale, slightly milky blue separate it from turquoise, which is more opaque, and from blue chalcedony, which is translucent and evenly colored.
Caring for larimar
Larimar is soft and its color can fade with long exposure to sunlight and heat. Store it away from direct sun, clean it with a soft damp cloth, and keep it away from chemicals, ultrasonic cleaners and harder gems that could scratch it.
Every stone is natural, and each listing gives its weight, size, origin and treatment, with photos of the actual stone.