Are you familiar with Larimar?
The Larimar is a semi-precious stone. It has a vitreous appearance, generally blue speckled with white. Is widely used in jewelry, typical of the southern coast of the Dominican Republic.
Recently I have been craving for the color of this gorgeous semiprecious gemstone, feeling that the clear blue tones will bring back some of the Caribbean Sea energy to me. And guess what? It seems that heavens heard about my wish, because my daughter, travelled to Dominican Republic and came back with a birthday present for me: a tiny box full of Larimar cabochons for my jewelry!
Of course, I want to keep them all for me, and yes! I have to sit and design different things I have in mind! But no, not all them will be for me, some of the pieces surely will be in the “one of a kind section“ of my site.
Being this the first time I’ve been in touch with this gem has naturally led me to move and learn more about the characteristics and history of this beautiful and relatively new mineral.
Larimar’s history
The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Mining records show that Father Miguel Domingo Fuertes Loren of the Barahona Parish requests permission on 22 November 1916 to explore and exploit the mine of a certain blue rock that he had discovered. In the Dominican Republic they did not know what a Pectolites was, so the Ministry rejected the request.
Miguel Méndez and Peace Corps volunteer Norman Rilling rediscovered Larimar in 1974. The spot was on a beach at the foot of the Bahoruco Mountain Range, the coastal province of Barahona. Natives believed that the stone came from the sea, and they called the gem Blue Stone. Miguel took his young daughter’s name Larissa and the Spanish word for sea (mar) and this is how Larimar word is born, to suggest the colors of the Caribbean Sea where it has being found. The few stones that they first saw were alluvial sediment, washed into the sea by the Bahoruco River. An upstream search reveals the in situ outcrops in the range and soon the Los Chupaderos mine was formed.
Larimar, jewelry and healing
After all this we now know about Larimar we come into jewelry matter. This semiprecious gemstone sets beautifully in silver. There are infinite ways to design jewelry with Larimars! What gets my attention mostly is the connection people say about the spiritual and healing properties Larimar has. Not only does Larimar make beautiful jewelry, but it is also a healing stone that tunes finely to the human body, in particular, the throat area. Many people use it as a good luck charm and some other never leave home without it! Today people across the globe use the stone to assist and reinforce healing processes. It is a very spiritual stone with intense, harmonious, feminine energy that encourages positivity and tranquility.
Keep the summer and the Caribbean with you
When I wear jewelry, one of the things I love most is to touch, see or feel the pieces, as much as when I make them in my studio .The autumn is about to finish, then follows the longest season for me: winter ! What a better way is there to remember the sea, the sand, the light and the beach horizons than to keep a Larimar jewel in your hands? Memories like the one in the picture below rest in gemstones like Larimar!
