Larimar Specimen — Sky Blue & White, Dominican Volcanic Gemstone — Field Find

THE FIND
A larimar specimen — sky blue and soft white marbling in the only gemstone found exclusively in the Dominican Republic. Calming oceanic blues that resemble tropical water or drifting cloud. A rare volcanic mineral that feels like standing at the edge of the sea.

WHAT WE KNOW
Larimar is a blue variety of pectolite (NaCa₂Si₃O₈(OH)), a sodium calcium silicate mineral. Its distinctive blue coloration is produced by copper substituting for calcium in the crystal structure — the same element responsible for blue in turquoise and azurite, producing a different shade here due to the different mineral host. Larimar forms in cavities within basaltic lava flows in the Bahoruco Mountain Range of the Dominican Republic. The single known commercial deposit, near the village of Los Chupaderos, is the only source of gem-quality larimar in the world — a genuinely rare material with a confirmed, unique locality. The market contains imitation and lower-grade pectolite sold as larimar; this specimen is presented as larimar based on visual characteristics and catalog identification. Weight not confirmed — please update before publishing.

THE STORY
Larimar was known to the indigenous Taíno people of Hispaniola long before European contact, but the modern commercial discovery is credited to Miguel Méndez and Norman Rilling in 1974, who found it eroding from the sea cliffs near Barahona. Méndez named it by combining his daughter’s name (Larissa) with the Spanish word for sea (mar). The deposit sits at altitude in the mountains — the stones reached the coast by eroding downriver, which is how Méndez and Rilling found it. It is one of the few gemstones with a discoverable modern origin story, a single known source, and a name that tells you exactly who found it and why.

WHY WE CHOSE IT
The sky blue coloration and white patterning are clearly visible and the color quality appears strong. Larimar at $60 is fair pricing for a genuine specimen — the combination of rarity, single-source provenance, and visual quality makes this a compelling piece for a gemstone or volcanic mineral collection.

ABOUT THIS PIECE
Type: Larimar specimen (blue pectolite, copper-bearing sodium calcium silicate)
Origin: Dominican Republic (Los Chupaderos mine area, Bahoruco Mountains)
Weight: [CONFIRM WEIGHT]
Condition: Please review photographs for color, patterning, and natural variation. Presented as larimar based on visual characteristics.
Quantity: 1 — one of a kind.