What Makes Larimar Valuable?

Volcanoes form larimar.

Larimar is a semi-precious stone native to the Dominican Republic. So far, the only larimar discovered has been from southwest region of the country, in Barahona Province. Larimar is a form of pectolite, a volcanic stone.

Rare

Larimar is valuable because it is rare. Pectolites are found elsewhere, but larimar is only mined in the Dominican Republic.

Beautiful

Most people consider larimar beautiful, closely resembling turquoise. Sometimes called blue pectolite, it is often compared to the colors of the ocean.

Healing

Folklore associated with it suggest healing properties. Chakra enthusiasts believe larimar stimulates various regions of the body and mind to promote wisdom and peace, and that larimar reduces anxiety.

Atlantis Artifact

Another bit of folklore is that larimar is the stone of lost Atlantis. This belief was reinforced by the popular psychic Edgar Cayce, who believed Haiti and the Dominican Republic (sharing the island of Hispaniola) is a fragment of the sunken mythological city.

Difficulty of Extraction

The price of larimar is further increased by the difficulty of mining it from vertical pits that are full of water almost half the year. The Dominican Republic is in the middle of the Atlantic hurricane damage path, and the pits fill almost every year.

Grading

Deeper blues and stones with interesting veins and high luminosity are the most prized. It is generally mounted in silver, which adds to the price of finished larimar.

References

• Larimar Museum: What is Larimar?