After a bit of a break, we are back for our 12th instalment of the A-Z Gemstones Uncovered series. This time we're taking you to the warm, lush Caribbean Island known as the Dominican Republic where Larimar is exclusively produced.
Marahlago Larimar & Blue Spinel Octopus Necklace
So let's delve into the origins of this unique stone...
The first mention of Larimar (not under this name, it was just a blue rock) was documented in 1916 when a priest called Father Miguel Domingo Fuertes de Loren came across the blue rock and reported his discovery to Archbishop Nouel. He requested permission on 23rd November, of the same year to explore and use the mine where he found the blue rock however the stone at this time was unknown and not valued therefore the Dominican Ministry of Minding denied permission to operate the mine. After Father Miguel's rejection, the blue rock and its mine laid dormant until 1974.
They began to extract this stone, naming it "Travelina" at first, however, Méndez renamed the stone to its current name "Larimar" in homage to his daughter, Larissa. He combined the nickname of his daughter "Lari" with the Spanish word "Mar" (translating to Sea in English) due to its intense blue colouring.
In November 1974, initial research into the blue rock was conducted by scientist, Paul E. Desautels who was the Chief of the Mineral Department at the Smithsonian Institue, along with several other scientists. They came to the conclusion that the blue rock corresponded to the Pectolite's family however the blue colours of Larimar were the first to be discovered in the whole world.
Although Pectolite's were first discovered in 1828, the Dominican Republic were not aware of this rock variety so did not see the importance or value initially of granting mining permission to Father Miguel.
So what is special about Larimar, and how is it actually created?
Larimar is formed in the Bahoruco Mountain Range's volcanic vesicles (basically small holes left behind after lava cools and turns into volcanic rock). It is thought Larimar is a product of extremely hot mineral-rich fluid that was forced into the cracks and fissures which were originally formed by tectonic activity, as this fluid in the cavities/vesicles cooled, small crystalline structures called spherulites formed. As the fluid continued to cool, the spherulites mixed, eventually forming a gel that ultimately hardened into Larimar.
Various elements influence the properties of Larimar such as Copper, Vanadium, Hematite, Phosphorus and Silica. How Larimar forms exactly is still relatively unknown and debated. A fancy analysis, called Electron Microprobe Analysis indicates that the different coloured parts of Larimar have a relatively uniform composition which means it is not the chemistry of Larimar that results in its colour but other factors. Copper is mostly believed to be responsible for its colour, however, Copper concentrations have been found to be lower in the blue spherulites compared to the paler white areas. Therefore it is thought the concentration of Copper is not high enough to be responsible for the colour in Larimar.
5 facts about Larimar:
- On the 21st October 2016, the Ministry of Energy and Mines issued a resolution that prohibited the raw export of Amber and Larimar. Today Larimar is only allowed to be exported as separate polished stones.
- Since 2018, annually on the 22nd November, the Dominican Republic celebrate National Larimar Day in memory of the 1916 date when Father Miguel discovered the stone. It is considered the stone symbol of the country by both the locals and its visitors.
- Larimar mining is considered "artisan mining" which means it's small scale and informal. Mining is carried out by individuals or small groups using minimal machinery and equipment, mostly in the form of hand tools. It is a major driver of community development by providing jobs and giving profits to local villagers in the surrounding regions. They excavate dozens of feet below the surface of the rocky paths and can be extremely dangerous to do so in the rainy season due to the danger of mudslides.
- Due to the small deposits in the Dominican Republic and the limited financial value of the deposit, extensive geological surveys have never been done so the available quantity of Larimar is unknown. Larimar could run out at any moment or be an abundant source for years to come. Forty years ago Larimar was found on the surface, twenty years ago it was mined in shallow pits roughly 20-30inches deep but now these have been exhausted, the mine shafts are having to go more than 600ft underground to chase the deposits.
- Larimar is sometimes referred to as the Atlantis Stone. Edgar Cayce (1877 – 1945), an American physic, prophesied the discovery of Larimar in his writings. He envisioned that a previously unknown "blue stone" of incredible beauty and healing nature will be found somewhere within the Caribbean where he believed the lost continent of Atlantis is located. Real or coincidence? You decide.
We'd love to hear your thoughts, what's your favourite thing about Larimar or which gemstone would you like us to feature next! Comment below, like or share this post.
(Originally posted on Mar 10, 2022)
