The Caribbean Stone

Larimar is a rare blue variety of the mineral pectolite, found in only one significant location in the world. Its soft, volcanic-sky colour — ranging from pale sky blue to deep turquoise — has made it a sought-after specialty stone.

Gemologically, larimar is described as translucent to opaque, with a vitreous to silky luster — qualities that shape how it catches and carries light once cut. Its colour comes from copper substitution within the pectolite structure, and its relative softness means it's best suited to pendants, earrings, or decorative pieces rather than rings worn daily.

A Modern Discovery, an Ancient Stone

Unlike most gemstones with histories stretching back centuries, larimar entered the world market only in 1974, when local Dominican Miguel Méndez and Peace Corps volunteer Norman Rajlich rediscovered the stone in the Barahona province after earlier reports from 1916 had gone uninvestigated. Méndez named it by combining "Lari" — the first syllable of his daughter Larissa's name — with "mar," the Spanish word for sea, evoking the stone's blue-and-white, ocean-like patterning. Found nowhere else on Earth in significant quantity, larimar remains a true geological rarity and a point of national pride for the Dominican Republic, where it is sometimes called the country's national stone.

Where Larimar Comes From

Folklore and Healing Traditions

Larimar has held a place in decorative arts, folklore, and crystal-healing traditions across cultures for centuries. Those drawn to this dimension of the stone often choose it for its colour and character as much as for any tradition attached to it — a personal, rather than prescriptive, choice.

How Larimar Is Graded

Quality in larimar is generally assessed across colour, clarity, cut, and carat weight — with colour and overall character typically the dominant factors in value.

What a Lab Report Confirms

A lab report identifies the species, describes colour, and discloses any treatment. Larimar is typically untreated; its blue colour is entirely natural.

Natural, Ethical, Jaipur-Sourced

Every larimar in the Paraiso Jewels vault is described accurately as to its natural or treated status on its label. We source through Jaipur's gem market — one of the world's oldest and most concentrated coloured-stone trading centres — and our stones can be verified at GTL Jaipur, the region's principal gem testing authority.

On request, each piece can be accompanied by documentation covering weight, dimensions, and treatment status. If you have questions about the origin or treatment of a specific stone, contact us via WhatsApp or email and we'll provide full details.