Larimar is a semiprecious stone that is only found in the Dominican Republic. It is said to mirror the Caribbean Sea and comes in various hues of blue and green. Because the stone is only found in one area, the supply of available stone is not known. Many people value the stone because of its appearance.
Seas off the coast of the Dominican Republic
Facts
Larimar is a blue pectolite (a type of mineral) that is only found in the Dominican Republic, in the town of Barahona. It is sometimes confused with turquoise, but the stones are not related. Larimar rates from 5 to 7 in the Moh's scale of hardness. The Mohs scale measures how resistant a substance is to being scratched on a scale of 1 to 10..
History
Larimar is said to have been originally discovered in the early 1900s by a Spanish priest; however, this story has not been substantiated. It was later rediscovered in 1974 by Norman Rilling and Miguel Mendez. Miguel combined his daughter's name, Larissa, with the word "mar" (meaning "sea" in Spanish) to come up with the stone's name. Miguel and Norman went on to find the outcropping located in Los Checheses.
Geography
The most abundant concentration of larimar is found at Los Checheses in the town of Los Chupaderos, about 6 miles from Barahona. Most of the small blocks of larimar are still in the place where they formed. However, over time blocks have been transported through erosion. Some of these blocks made their way to the Caribbean Sea, which explains why larimar was initially found in the beaches of Barahona.
Mining
Hot gases push the larimar into tubes located in the volcano where larimar is found. The tubes are the first structures that must be located before the gem can be extracted. The miner extracts the stone using basic tools, including picks, shovels and hammers. There are no modern amenities available to the miners except for electricity and air pumps, resulting in dangerous work conditions for the miners. Additionally, miners are subjected to the potential for cave-ins, floods and mudslides.
Legend
The stone also goes by the names of Love, Dolphin and Atlantis stone. Some people believe the original location where larimar was found is part of the lost city of Atlantis. The gem is said to have powers of emotional, mental and spiritual healing. Many also believe that the stone stimulates the heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras resulting in inner wisdom.
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