Larimar is a rare blue variety of pectolite found in just one place on Earth: a small mountainous area in the Dominican Republic. Its dreamy patterns of sky blue, white and sea green look uncannily like sunlight rippling through shallow Caribbean water. The colour is linked to traces of copper substituting into the mineral. It was brought to wider attention in 1974, and the name combines Larissa, the daughter of the man who promoted it, with mar, the Spanish word for sea.
Larimar is soft, around 4.5 to 5 on the Mohs scale, so it suits pendants and earrings better than daily rings, and it should be stored away from harder stones. Its colour can slowly fade with long exposure to strong sunlight and heat, so do not leave it on a sunny windowsill. It is cut as cabochons that show off those wave patterns. Clean it with a soft, damp cloth only. Dyed imitations exist, but genuine larimar's swirling, cloud-like pattern is very hard to fake convincingly, and it is the only kind we stock.
Fellow ocean-blue stones, though larimar's wavy white patterning is unique to it.
