We finally made it with 14K Gold

Introducing our first Larimar and 14K gold collection!

There is no standard quality guide for our Larimar stone in the Dominican Republic, so far the only place on earth where this unique blue semi-precious stone is mined.

With its ample variety of blue, as well as, blue green shades and patterns the Larimar stone is undoubtedly an awesome art of nature, pleasing the blue tone preference of every admirer.

However, the truth is that the deep blue shades, similar to the azure shade, are considered the top quality, for they are rare and scarce!

Several years ago, before gold price started to climb, many Dominican artisans could afford producing both 925 silver and 14K gold Larimar jewelry and to this end they only used the deep blue Larimar stones for 14K gold and the lighter blue colors for 925 silver!

Larimar Happy Hour Rings

But all this changed when the gold price became unreachable for the average local artisans, who decided to use all blue Larimar quality type they can get and buy for 925 silver jewelry.

The Larimar Shop was born after the gold price reached its highest peak and in view of that people were inclined toward buying silver instead of gold! So we decided to only sell 925 silver Larimar jewelry, but during all this time we were kind of tempted to do also some 14K gold items! 

There are three foreign gold companies exploiting the gold mines in the Dominican Republic (has it all) so we finally, very timidly, took a step forward and decided to complete the beauty of our Larimar stone with 14K gold frame, a perfect combination honoring both stone and metal mined in the Dominican Republic!

Larimar and 14K Gold Pendant

We have been excited with this new challenge, producing some of our best sellers the reversible “happy hour” rings, the Dominican classic teardrop pendants and earrings, as well as, gorgeous stone pendants with 14K gold. Of course, the prices for these items are for wealthy pockets, as you might understand, but we have to give those gold and Larimar lovers their privilege to pay the price!! 

We did a humble 14K gold Larimar jewelry start, firmly looking forward to making other 14K gold designs according to the support we receive from our dear customers!

This is a FIRST for us!

Our First Larimar Jewelry Photo Shooting

Enjoying our Dominican "Yaniqueques"

We love our beaches, we love the sun and we love our so special and unique Larimar stone! So in our efforts to exalt the beauty of this stone, we finally decided to execute a blue thought which had been dwelling in our minds for some time: Take pictures of our Larimar jewelry with a brown suntanned color model close to the sea to demonstrate that the different blue hues of the Larimar stone really mimics the blue colors of our sea waters!!

Hanging in the sun

We took different outfits and some other items to achieve wonderful photos and hit the road to our regular rented beach house in Juan Dolio, which is approx. 25 minutes ride from Santo Domingo city. On our way we could not miss buying and eating the famous “Yaniqueque” (maybe a Dominican version of Jonny cakes) which is so well made by the people of that area.

Isaac, our cameraman in action!

It was a beautiful day, the perfect scenario to start our first photo shooting at the beach!! My, my, my, although we have been dealing with this stunning stone for many years, we were again greatly marveled with the blue beauty and shine of Larimar amidst the blue sky and blue and blue green sea waters!!!

We really enjoyed every photo shoot, we had the opportunity to be creative with all the marvelous surroundings, always with the real intention to display the uniqueness of the Larimar stone and its connection with our Caribbean sea, sky, people, the whole tropical atmosphere!!

After a few hours of hot sun exposure, we decided it was enough for this time and drove happily back home, satisfied with the job done and hoping that our customers will be delighted with our new Larimar jewelry exhibition!!

Amber mined in the Dominican Republic - Part II

PART II

Scientist might still be debating over the possible origin of the different colors of Amber; the kind of tree that yielded the resin, but many causes have influenced the color of the Amber, such as the conditions under which it fossilized, the presence of natural organic and mineral elements, the different temperatures and pressure in the amber layers.

At this moment the most sought after is the blue Amber, which is unbelievable costly. A pound of blue Amber is actually US$ 36,000 approx., and the more pure, that is impurities free, the higher its price. Blue Amber is rare because of its unique fluorescence of beautiful blue shade. There are a few theories about the blue Amber coloration you can find in the Internet if you have special interest in the specific type of Amber.

The wealthy community of China and Japan are the main buyers of blue Amber for there is a belief, that it provides good luck and prosperity among other properties. In ancient time, Amber was also used for healing and protection. Actually, the price for blue Amber is higher than the price for gold! Miners are now only interested in finding blue Amber and many times the buyers are already waiting at the mine site to buy the best quality.

 Some local artisans have moved to the regions where the blue Amber is mined to be able to get hold of some of this blue Amber to make Dominican handmade jewelry to benefit of this blue Amber too.

When buying any Amber on the Internet, one must be very careful for there is also fake Amber for sale. It can be proven only physically, by placing it in salt water. The real Amber will float and the fake one will sink! This plastic imitation can also be distinguished from the natural by rubbing them; the fake one will not become as electrostatically charged.

The Greek were the first to observe and record the electrostatic properties of Amber, the Greek name of Amber -Elektron became a root word for electricity.

The end!

 

Birth of The Larimar Shop Collections

The story behind our Collections

We confess that we are deeply in love with our share of the eastern side of the Hispaniola Island, the Dominican Republic, its land, mountains, rivers, beaches, flora and fauna, and the authenticity of our people.

When we started knowing our unique Larimar stone, which mimics our Caribbean blue sea waters and clear blue sky, also frequently adorned with white clouds, so well, we fell in love with this Dominican national stone and decided to share this beauty, in our Dominican style, with the world!

The reasons that encouraged us to move forward with our Larimar project was the fact that our Larimar stone is offered many times abroad, omitting the truth that this stone is found and mined only in the Dominican Republic and at the same time the publicity of some well known Larimar designers/vendors, telling that they get the best quality of Larimar so that the low grade quality is left in the Dominican Republic for us to use! Also they have underestimated the Dominican craftsmanship and creativity to expose the beauty of Larimar with jewelry that makes it shine!

Contrary to the jewelry artisans, for example, of Mexico, Indonesia, India who learned their skills through many, many generations, our Dominican jewelry artisans hopped into this art approx. end of the sixties, and in the eighties a jewelry school was established in the city of  Puerto Plata, with the aid of the Dominican Development Agency, “Fundacion Dominicana de Desarrollo”, as well as the efforts made by Miguel Mendez (the rediscoverer of the Larimar stone and who named it ) to prepare  jewelers and traders of this unique stone. Nowadays there are several schools and projects to teach jewelry art, which has resulted in better prepared and skilled jewelry artisans. During the visit last year of our actual Dominican president Danilo Medina to the Larimar mines, it was decided to give the Larimar miners and artisans financial and technical assistance to improve their work 

In view of the above exposure, we decided to create our own Larimar collection to make clear that we count with excellent craftsmanship and creative jewelry artisans who can design and make wonderful pieces to display the uniqueness of our Larimar stone and please the different preferences!

To honor the regions and surroundings of the mountain range Bahoruco in the Province of Barahona, where the Larimar stone is mined, we have decided to use the names of the different towns and places therein.

MENA Collection, named after Mena town, located in the province of Bahoruco (or Baoruco), southwest of the Province of Barahona!

The MENA Collection was created to obtain a fresh and modern appearance to exalt the beauty of the blue Larimar stone in stylish 925 silver settings!

The MENA pendant, MENA earrings and MENA bracelet will add a “something” special, a delightful touch to women’s look!

UVILLA Collection, named after Uvilla town, located in the province of Bahoruco (or Baoruco), southwest of the province of Barahona

The UVILLA Collection is an exquisite, elegant design that gives a flash of blue bling to those women who love to wear eye-catching pieces to enhance their femininity!

We are also creating within this collection a variety of UVILLA pendants, necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets to allow our customers to acquire their UVILLA piece with more or less Larimar stones!

MONSERRAT Collection, named after Monserrat, a small town also located in the province of Bahoruco (or Baoruco), southwest of the province of Barahona

The MONSERRAT Collection aims to give the Larimar beads its full glance, combined with Mother of Pearl, creating pristine designs for an appealing, natural touch to womens final outfit!

These collections are the beginning of a new challenge for our strive to place our Dominican Larimar jewelry in a higher position, showing the world that Dominican jewelry artisans and designers have learned the art of making stunning pieces, letting our national Larimar stone shine by its own!  

Dominican Republic Hidden Treasures

COTUI

Cotui is one of the oldest cities of the New World, capital of the province of Sanchez Ramirez, located in the south Cibao region, in the center of the Dominican Republic. Nicolas de Ovando, who was the governor of the Hispaniola Island, the Dominican Republic is on the eastern side of the island, ordered Rodrigo de Trujillo de foundation of this city. Cotui is the name of a Taino leader (Cotoi) who was ruling a well organized taino population of that area.

Gold from Pueblo Viejo, Cotui

Besides their agricultural activities, these Taino Indians were also involved in mining of the outcropping Pueblo Viejo gold deposit. The Spanish rulers mined this gold deposit from 1505 thru 1525 when the mine was abandoned for the gold mines in Mexico. The first African slaves in the Hispaniola Island arrived in Cotui to work at the gold mine.

Archaeological excavation at Pueblo Viejo is proving that this was the first gold mine built by the Spanish settlers in the New World.

Growing rice

In 1562 this city, together with other spanish settlements, was destroyed by an earthquake. It is understood that the Spanish colonization in the Hispaniola island started here!

Ducks coming from Canada

Cotui and Pueblo Viejo, which is a part of the city, are situated in the Yuna valley in the Cibao region, in the central mountain range, which runs from the Haitian border to the Caribbean Sea, with the highest peak of the Caribbean, Pico Duarte of 3,175 m. It is a highly gifted place with rich soils producing agricultural products such as rice, plantains, pineapples, cacao, passion fruits and yams! The beauty of its landscapes is highlighted with its crystal clear river waters and the largest artificial lake of the Caribbean, Presa de Hatillo, Hatillo Dam. Also its prehistoric caves, called guacaras, with drawings and pictographs of the Taino Indians, are of great interest. Thousands of migrating ducks from Canada come to spend winter in this habitat.

Cotui is also rich in gold, silver, bauxite, iron, nickel and marble mines!!

As at December 31, 2013, Pueblo Viejo had proven and probable gold reserves of 9.7 million ounces and a mine life of 25 years and beyond!!

Presa de Hatillo

From Mining.com, which ranked the gold mine in Pueblo Viejo number 7 in their top 10 list of world’s top 10 gold deposits, we quote” It might surprise some that this small island nation is rich in mineral reserves. The open pit mine is very new and began production in January 2013. It also has large silver and copper reserves to complement its gold deposit. As it ramps up to full production, it will also be one of the largest producers in the world, but we’ll save production figures for a separate Top 10 list.

Platanuses - Carnival Custome

One of the oldest Carnival celebrations took place in Cotui, although it was introduced by the Spanish colony, with its cultural influence, it was enriched by African customs after the gold mine was closed.

Cotui is also hometown of Mets pitcher Duaner Sanchez and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jose Capellan, but the province of Sanchez Ramirez, where Cotui is located, has produced many more baseball players who are playing in the big leagues.

Probably you are already wearing Dominican gold jewelry, who knows, but we like to share our natural beauties, our treasures and much more with you.

Dominican Republic has it all!!

Larimar, the mine and the miners

Working in the mines...

When people all over the world get to know about the unique blue pectolite, the Dominican blue Larimar stone, they click on the word Larimar and the same story about this stone will show up! Who discovered the Larimar stone, when and where, as well as a few characteristics of this special blue semi-precious stone.

But what about the people who make it possible for us to wear and enjoy of the jewel of the Caribbean, the Larimar stone? We want to talk a little bit about their struggle at the Larimar mines!

Larimar slabs

The peasants, who planted “yautia” (yams) in the surroundings of the area of the Larimar mine, were the first people to get involved with “the blue stone” as they called it. They collected this “blue stone” before Miguel Mendez followed the trail of the “blue stone” until he reached the peak of the mountain and revealed this best secret to the world!

These peasants turned into miners, as they understood they could make more money at the mine than with agriculture. The Dominican government gave them the concession to exploit the mine of Larimar. All mineral rights in the Dominican Republic belong to the government. In 1985 approx. 100 miners were working at the mine and by recommendation of the government a first cooperative was formed, nowadays there are two cooperatives.

Las Filipinas

The mine is located in the highest mountain of “Las Filipinas” in the community of Bahoruco, where you will find hundreds of men, naked from the waist up, who are going every day into the deepness of what you could call “hell” searching for Larimar, some have been doing this since over thirty year ago, exposing their lives, to make some money! There is no life insurance, no emergency aid, and no 911!

Every morning when the clock strikes nine, approx. 20 men in group of five, like ant rows, introduce themselves in narrow holes, leading to underground galleries, reinforced with wood to avoid collapsing, it feels like being buried alive. To go down most of them use the wood that serves as ladder and as reinforcement of the pit walls, some use pulley, but other are afraid it might break and they will hurt themselves.

Men of all ages work with rudimentary tools, like shovel, pick and hammer, although lately some have an electric “pick-hammer” tool. Once these miners start working they will start a sort percussion sound, which will be played during eight hours, only interrupted by meal break of one hour! 

To be able to work in these infernal holes, air is pumped into the pits at eight o’clock in the morning one hour before the miners start going down.

An image of one of the many pits high in the mountain.

Actually there are about 40 holes or pits that are up to 200 meters deep. Once they find a Larimar vein they start working their way through corridors, reinforced with wooden frames, which many time become home for many cockroaches; these holes can be productive during several years. To open a new pit can cost approx. US$15,000, and not always Larimar veins are found in new holes!

Cables carrying electricity produced by the generator are introduced into different holes and 220 Volts cables are used in the pits where an electric “pick-hammer” tool is available, exposing their lives to electric shocks.

The president of the Dominican Republic visited the Larimar recently and promised to have ventilated tunnels made to enable the miners to extract this semi-precious stone in a safer way, he promised to technify the whole mining process and to make of this Larimar area a touristic attraction. Also he promised to give the local Larimar artisans the opportunity to learn the art and skill to make professional quality Larimar jewelry.  We welcome this initiative of our president and hope he will abide by his promise!!!

In rainy seasons these pit are filled with water and it takes some time before the miners can start working again.

If you want to experience their working day, no problem just take your trip to Bahoruco and the miners will be more than happy to show how they do their living!

What do you really get when mining Larimar stones?

Here we'll give you the shocking reality!

Larimar rough or Larimar bruto

This miner has small Larimar rough stones in his hands just coming from the pits; sometimes very big stones up to 60 lbs are mined. These stones are cut in slabs and it is in that moment that you really know the quality of the LARIMAR and find out if the stone is cracked or broken. In the process of preparing Larimar stone for jewelry there is a high waste of material and at the end practically only 10 % is left!, causing this semi-precious stone to be quoted at high prices. For example of 100 lbs of Larimar rough stone you obtain 30 lbs of slabs, from 30 lbs of slabs you get 10 lbs of cabs and only 1lb is first quality material.

Larimar slabs or Chapas de Larimar

Aquí les exponemos la cruda verdad!

Este es un minero con piedras brutas de Larimar acabadas de ser extraidas de los hoyos en la mina; estas son de las mas pequeñas ya que a veces sacan tamaños de piedras que pueden pesar hasta 60 libras. Estas piedras son cortadas en lajas o chapas y es en ese momento que se sabe verdaderamente la calidad del Larimar y si la piedra no esta cuarteada o rota!! En el proceso para preparar el Larimar para joyeria se pierde mucho material y practicamente viene quedando solo un 10%! por lo que esta piedra semi-preciosa se cotiza a precios altos. Por ejemplo, de 100 lbs Larimar en bruto se sacan 30 lbs de chapas, de 30 lbs de chapas se sacan 10 lbs de cabuchones* y de estos solo 1 Lb es de primera calidad!!

Larimar Stone the Blue Jewel of the Caribbean and its Synonyms

Human beings tend to love phantasy, mystery and all sort of things that will arise curiosity, encountered feelings, hidden emotions, etc. involved in a person, in a place, in a subject, in a religion, in a movement, in stones be it precious or not!

Our Larimar stone is not an exception to this fact and so, "PIedra Azul", meaning Blue Stone, is the first name this unique blue pectolite received from the locals of Barahona, southwest of the Dominican Republic, who found small pieces of this blue stone ocassionally.

Larimar stone ring

When finally this blue pectolite, semi-precious stone, was rediscovered by Miguel Mendez, from the Dominican Republic, and Norman Rilling, a Peace Corps Volunteer from USA, in 1974 it is given the new name of Larimar, a combination of the name of Mendez's daughter Larissa and the word Mar, meaning sea!.

Once this stone starts becoming known abroad, its blue intriguing beauty strikes many hearts and interests, many strategies are used to promote our awesome #Larimar with all its variety of blue hues, mimicking our Caribbean sea waters, gorgeous patterns, which also can include some white, grey shades and inclusion such as red dendrites, copper, calcite, resulting many times in impressing Larimar specimens!!

And so we find that our Larimar stone has  been baptized with different names for different purposes or reasons!

Caribbean Turquoise

To our understanding this given  name is for commercial purposes!

Lorimar

Somebody must have misspelled the name Larimar and decided to keep the name Lorimar, maybe because there was already money invested and any correction would involve more money!

Stefilia's Stone

Who or what gave birth to this name is still unknown to us.

Dolphin Stone

Handcrafted Larimar Bracelet

This name is connected with metaphysical beliefs, attributing healing & spiritual properties to this stone

"Some believe that Larimar is the blue stone with extraordinary healing powers that Edgard Cayce predicted would be discovered in the Caribbean, where he said part of Atlantis could be found"

"Larimar has excellent energy for working with sea creatures of all kind. It is particularly good for communicating with dolphins."

"as dolhpins were associated with Atlantis and Larimar was used as a tool to enhance communicaction with them"

Atlantis Stone

This is the most powerful name used for Larimar to exalt its long list of healing and spiritual powers according to the New Age and Metaphysical philosophies

Edgard Cayce, called the sleeping prophet, (1877-1945), mentioned that a blue stone of Atlantean origin, would be found in a Caribbean island, which was part of the lost continent of Atlantis!

The blue beauty of Larimar stone is very appealing to people all over the world and its demand has grown enormously and increasing its cost constantly.

If in the #Dominican Republic locals would know the healing and spiritual properties attributed to our Larimar stone, we are sure, everybody would be wearing a Larimar piece, with or without silver, but unfortunately very few even know the existence of this marvelous stone!!

Is it maybe that the volcanic origin of this stone has a chemical reaction when in contact with our skin that benefits us positively?

Los Haitises National Park

Los Haitises National Park, located on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic is an ecological paradise. Here you can see secluded beaches, mangrove swamps, islets, and a multitude of caverns.These caverns are adorned with pictographs and petroglyphs. The culture(s) which created these artworks remain unidentified, some of them possibly predating the Taínos. A grand diversity of endemic flora and fauna are present in this park, and some of these islets are part of the birds sanctuary.

It is a protected virgin forest with little road access. The number of tourists allowed is limited, but since 2000 it has become a popular ecotourism attraction. Haitis (singular) means highland or mountain range in the Taino language, although the elevation of the park's hills ranges from 98 ft.

This protected area connects you with nature in any ways: from a spectacular boat ride through it’s breathtaking mangroves, exploration of the virgin tropical rainforest and caverns to a dip in a secluded beach right in the middle of Los Haitises National Park. 

Don't forget to include this experience when visiting our tropical paradise, the Dominican Republic.

DOMINICAN "R" US

Do you like to watch?

People all over the world like to watch but Dominicans like to watch a little bit more and we give you the opportunity to watch too!! We have in the #DominicanRepublic, whale watching tours, bird watching tours, carnival watching tours and other watching tours. Right now its time for whale watching tours, which started in January until end of March.

Every winter, the majority of the North Atlantic Humpback whale population (approximately 12,000 whales), migrate between 2,000 and 4,000 miles from their northern feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine, the east coast of Canada, Greenland and Iceland, to the warm Caribbean waters of the Samana Bay on the north coast of the Dominican Republic to reproduce.
Due to the mating season, from late January to late March, males are very active to "show off" to the females, making Samana one of the best places in the world to whale watch, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

If you are planning to come to this marvelous side of the Hispaniola island during this time, don't miss the unforgettable experience of watching these humpback whales, contact your travel agents to arrange this tour for you.

Dominican Carnival

During the months of February the city of Santo Domingo and different towns in the Dominican Republic celebrate carnival, one of the most colorful traditions and more cheerful festivities in the Dominican Republic. The origins of Carnival date back to 1520, during the colonial period. Some researchers say the first Carnival events took place as a celebration of a visit by Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, when its inhabitants disguised themselves as Moors and Christians. However, it wasn't always this way, between 1822 and 1844, costumes disappeared almost completely because of the Haitian occupation!!! After the country achieved its independence on February 27, 1844, the costumes were no longer associated with church celebrations. they evolved into actual carnivals.

Each town or city will exhibit their culture, folklore, and heritage in these parades with colorful disguises, music and dances; for example, the Guloyas or Buloyas from San Pedro de Macorís are part of the Dominican culture and history and they are considered as humanity cultural heritage (by the UNESCO). According to history, the Guloyas are descendants of the "cocolos" (black immigrants) who came from some British Caribbean islands and their main characteristics is their use of masks. The La Vega Carnival is the most popular and is definitely something that you don't want to miss. The Dominican Republic African heritage is reflected in the wildly colourful masks and costumes at La Vega Carnival, the masks from La Vega are unmistakable because they are extremely frightening, many times grotesque very elaborated and expensive; they are highly decorated with rhinestones and feathers and other materials, all handmade!! You will find merengue and salsa dancing at all the parades, every sunday of the month of February.

So, if you are going to visit the Dominican Republic in February, don't forget to include to watch one of these carnival's celebration and learn more about their traditions and cultures or plan with your travel agents for next year if you could not make it this time!!!

Larimar Stone Grades and Quality

According to all scientific studies, Larimar is a type of pectolite, or a rock composed largely of pectolite, an acid silicate 

Larimar Slab

hydrate of calcium and sodium. Although pectolite is found in many locations, none have the unique volcanic blue coloration of Larimar. This blue color, distinct from that of other pectolites, is the result of copper substitution for calcium Larimar is of volcanic origin, etc.

This stone will appear in different blue, blue green colors and there are also some that almost have a green jade color, but it is still Larimar! You also have the natural pattern varities, between light and deep blue, light blue and green, some with inclusions, such as hematite or red dendrites, with white to gray squarish patches, there are uncountable beautiful patterns Every time the Larimar rough stone is cut into slices or slabs, you will discover a new stunning one or two sided piece, it is just amazing; one can never get enough of this stone which mimicks so well our Caribbean sea waters and sky!

The hardness of this stone is between 5 to 8 in Moh´s scale; its hardness depends also of the light or deep blue colors, the darker stone is harder!

Marbel Larimar Pendant

Larimar Bracelet

Only 10 percent of the Larimar stone is suitable for jewelry after it has been cut and polished! This is one of the factors that makes this stone expensive

Larimar Double Stone Earrings

There is no standard specification for the different Larimar grades and all Larimar jewelry producers and vendors will clasify the grades according to their knowledge. However, not everybody knows this stone very good, believe me!! Even the Dominican artisans who have been working with Larimar for many, many years can be cheated by the miners if they buy uncut rough Larimar stone. Nowadays the Dominican artisans prefer to buy the Larimar in slabs and still they might be cheated with some cracked slabs!!

Lately many rough Larimar Stones are being exported to China and India, good and not good qualities Larimar, but the chinese and indians will use everything in order not to lose money!

For example: There is a Larimar Stone with an unstable blue color, which will change of color after mined because of lack of particular humidity and temperatur present in the área where it was found! Only if you are a connoisseur you will notice the difference of this Larimar Stone, which color will fade in short time due to lack of the humidity and temperature it needs.

Another data, most probably unknown, is that a transparent Larimar piece, very scarce indeed, belongs to gem quality! Many people ignore this, which is a pity because these pieces are rare, different and beautiful!

In order to secure good quality Larimar the Dominican artisans are now standing next to the pits waiting for the miners to appear with the Larimar stones they were able to find and they negotiate the price right there according, to the quality of the stone 

Marbel Larimar Pendant

It is important to avoid long sun exposure, salt water and chemicals to maintain the good quality of the Larimar Stone!

A Larimar stone which after years has kept its genuine color and/or became more blue, because of its location (cold or humid place), is a good quality Larimar no matter if it is deep or light blue, you did a good purchase!

The Truth About Larimar Mining in the Dominican Republic

Practically all Larimar jewelry vendors in the internet start their website with the story of Larimar; some of these vendors have visited the mine in the Dominican Republic, but others just make their own story with the information of their colleagues, some adding spiritual and healing properties to the Larimar stone.

Larimar Pendants

The fact is that the first person to note this blue stone in the mountains of Bahoruco, in the province of Barahona, southwest of the Dominican Republic was a Spanish priest in the year 1916 by the name of Miguel Domingo Fuertes Loren who reported this discovery to the Archbishop Nouel in the city of Santo Domingo. No importance was given to this stone called by the locals “blue stone” at that time and had to wait 58 years for Miguel Mendez, Dominican citizen, andthe geologist Norman Rilling, an American Peace Corps Volunteer, to be found and analyzed.

We can imagine the excitement of these two men with the discovery of these small blue stone pieces found in the alluvial of the Bahoruco river. This time the necessary arrangements were made to have this new stone scientifically investigated. In November 1974 the first research was made by the scientist Dr. Paul E. Desautels, Chief of the Mineral Department of the Smithsonian Institute, followed by several other scientists. They came to the conclusion that this blue stone corresponds to the pectolite family for the gemological properties are consistent with those reported for pectolite, with the rarity that Larimar is the onlypectolite with blue colors discovered until now in the whole world. Larimar falls under the category of semi-precious stone.

Larimar Bangles

The deposits of Larimar are all located in an area known as los Chenchenes in the mountains of Bahoruco. All mineral rights in the Dominican Republic belong to the government and all mining is permitted only by the concession from the Dominican Bureau of Mines. By the suggestion of this Bureau, two cooperatives were created to avoid disputes among the miners. This gesture from the Dominican government was with the idea to help locals of that area, which wereat the beginning farmers, to make their living.

Working in the mines can be very dangerous as they are poorly constructed and reinforced and very few safety measures are taken. 

In the past some European countries offered to modernize the mining process of Larimar and Dominican Government has in various occasion promised to cooperate and help the miners with the extraction of Larimar. Until now, theDominican authorities have no control of the working conditions and safety of the miners and no action is under way. Mining is still being done in a primitivemethod, using only pick, shovel and hammer to break the weathered basalt in search of Larimar veins, always with the hope to find top qualities for the manufacture of Larimar Jewelry. The quality and color of the Larimar extracted can vary from one area to another.

Larimar Necklace

There are tunnels and pits or holes; a pit can be as deep as 200 ft or more and fresh air is pumped in with diesel generators that keep the lights on. When the generators are going to be turned off, they advise the miners in the holes and tunnels and it might take up to twenty minutes or more for them to get out.

Previously the generators were small and a number of miners died because of lack of oxygen. The tunnels can be deep without a safety structure, collapsing in several occasions burying a number of miners alive.

Every hole or pit and tunnel has different owners and everybody knows whose hole is whose, despite the apparent disorganization. As an attraction the miners allow visitors to go down their shaft.

Larimar Heart Pendant

During the rainy season, the mines become flooded and as a result no Larimar can be extracted until they have dried out. It is really not known exactly how much Larimar is in the mine and conceivably, some believe the mine could become exhausted of the precious gem at any time, others forecast there is Larimar for a long time. No scientific investigation has been made about the extension of the Larimar deposits.

This uncertainty and occasional rumors surrounding Larimar availability, as well as its high demand due to the fact that it has become more widely known causefluctuations in its price. There is a kind of monopoly controlled by some Larimar dealers who are located in the area of the mines; they buy practically all the extracted Larimar stone from the miners and put prices on the different Larimar qualities. The rough Larimar stones are sorted out and priced according to size, quality, color, purity, demand, etc.

Larimar Dangle Earring

There are times when the local artisans have difficulties to obtain this semi-precious stone in order to make their Larimar jewelry, specially because of this silent monopoly. At the beginning the Dominican Bureau of Mines prohibited the exportation of uncut rough Larimar, but after time has past by, large quantities of rough Larimar is exported mainly to China, India and Indonesia where some buyers from the USA have their own Larimar Jewelry produced.