What Is Larimar Stone Worth

Fibrous pectolite has long been a curiosity for gem collectors.

What is larimar stone worth.

While pectolite was first described in italy in 1828 the unique bright blue variety of larimar is found only in the dominican republic in the caribbean and was only discovered in 1916 and only given its name in 1974. But the more intense the blue color and the contrast in the stone the higher and rarer is the quality. Known by the trade name larimar this blue gem has since become a popular jewelry stone. A small stone with perfect color and texture may easily be worth considerably more than a large stone of only average quality.

Other names for larimar include stefilia s stone atlantis stone and dolphin stone. In 1974 blue pectolite was found in the dominican republic. A very strong defender of the notion that part of atlantis could be found in the caribbean was the psychic edgar cayce. Compact material can make wonderful cabochons and transparent crystals are rare and usually tiny.

Larimar also comes in green and even with red spots brown strikes etc due to the presence of other minerals and or oxidation. Discovered in the 1970s it has a variable hardness of 5 to 7 on the mohs scale. Larimar is a unique variety of pectolite which is a stone with an unusual fibrous formation. Los chupaderos is a single mountainside with 2000 mining shafts dug by hand over the past 40 years in the search for larimar.

Larimar is also called. 4 texture this is the most subjective aspect of larimar value yet sometimes can be the primary driver if the texture is somehow exceptionally striking. Larimar is also known as the dolphin stone blue pectolite atlantis stone and stefilia s stone. Larimar is rated 4 5 to 5 on the mohs hardness scale but deep blue sections on the gemstone can be rated as high as 7.

For this reason many look at hispaniola haiti and the dominican republic as a remnant of sunken atlantis. Originally discovered in 1916 it was named by the dominican who re discovered it in 1974 taking the first letters of his daughter s name larissa and the spanish word for the sea mar to create larimar.