All About Larimar

Though it took millions of years for Larimar to be created, it was only in 1976 that it began to be mined and marketed.  In 1916, Miguel Domingo Fuertes de Loren, a priest from the Baharona parish, made a request to mine for the blue rock, but the request was denied because the stone was not yet known or valued. In 1974, Norman Rilling, a member of the US Peace Corps, and Miguel Mendez, a local Dominican craftsman, found pieces of blue stone along the seashore. They explored a river upstream to find the source of the rocks. Mendez named the rock Larimar by combining the name of his daughter "Larissa" with the Spanish word "mar," meaning "sea."  

Before Mendez and Rilling, Baharona locals and their ancestors had long been aware of the beautiful blue stone. They found them along the seashore, and believed that it might have been produced by the sea, or by the earth's volcanic movements. Legend said some people even followed a stream until they discovered what they believed to be the source of the stone. This seems to hold some truth since that is how Mendez and Rilling found the mining location.

The psychic Edgar Cayce was a strong believer in the notion that part of Atlantis could be found in the Caribbean. He once predicted that a blue stone with extraordinary healing attributes would be found on one of the Caribbean islands. Larimar is considered a healing stone. It is said to increase speech and communication skills as well as supporting the body's natural healing. Thus Larimar is also called the Atlantis Stone.  

• From time to time, wash your pieces with clean fresh water and mild soap. Use a soft brush to clean any dirt from the sterling silver. You may notice that the Larimar stone may turn slightly more blue due to water absorption. You can also use a jewelry polishing cloth. 

• Always keep your Larimar in a cool dry box when you aren't wearing it. Avoid exposing it to direct sunlight where it can be exposed to high temperatures. 

• We recommend that you remove your Larimar jewelry when showering or washing your hands. If you live in an arid environment the dramatic change in humidity could cause cracking.

• Avoid wearing your jewelry in swimming pools, saunas, or jacuzzis as chlorine can damage the stone.