The beautiful and rare stone that only can be found in the Dominican Republic: Larimar

Larimar was discovered back in 1916 by a local priest called Miquel Domingo Fuertes Lorén. He was born in the little town of Daroca, in Zaragoza (Spain) in 1871. After studying both philosophy and theology he became a priest in South America. He first moved to Argentina and Peru and became head of the parish of Barahona (Dominican Republic) in 1909.

Santa Cruz de Barahona is the biggest en most important city of the province Barahona and is located in the south/west of the Dominican Republic, close to the border with Haiti. The local economy is mainly dependant form the seaport, ecotourism and sugar production.

Althought the priest Fuertes Lorén was the first person discovering Larimar; he was not the one responsible for its name. In the 1970s the local artist Miguel Mendez rediscovered the stone. Miguel Mendez named the stone after Larissa (his daughter) in combination with mar (Spanish for sea). Anyone who has seen the beautiful exquisite blue Caribbean waters on the island of the Dominican Republic will concur that Larimar is appropriate and descriptive name for the stone.

Larimar is surrounded and protected by a small range of remote mountains on the Island of Hispaniola, whose volcanic heritage forged this blue gemstone. Millions of years of erosion washed Larimar downstream into a river, making its final destination a beautiful, remote beach in the Caribbean.

Larimar is found in the remote mountain area of Barahona province. High on a remote and isolated mountain top in Sierra de Baoruco national park, miners use picks and shovels to quarry for larimar. Larimar is a variety of pectolite, an acid silicate hydrate of sodium and calcium. The light ocean blue color distinct Larimar from other pectolites. In combination with the white patterns it makes every piece of Larimar unique.

In addition to be a beautiful stone, larimar is also said to have natural healing properties. It promotes tranquillity and a gives a strong sense of inner peace and serenity.

Looking for Larimar pendants or stones?
http://www.richmondcrystal.co.uk/larimar/

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