Larimar: what does it look like and who is it for?

From time immemorial, mankind has been attracted by the mystery of precious and semi-precious stones. What properties of a magical and healing nature are not attributed to them. It seemed that all possible minerals were already known, but the planet never ceases to present new wonderful discoveries. So, in 1974, a new semi-precious stone was discovered in the Dominican Republic, called larimar.

Since the end of the 20th century, the Dominican Republic has been supplying the world market with products from a beautiful mineral of the color of water in a blue lagoon. This stone is called Larimar. In addition to the official name, the people also call this mineral the Haitian turquoise, Atlantis (since according to legend, it is associated with the disappeared Atlantis), the dolphin stone; pectolite jade. In the Dominican Republic itself, larimar has a poetic name - the stone of love.

Locals have used this stone for a long time, but the blue pectolite was officially recognized only at the end of the last century.

According to unconfirmed reports, the first blue mineral deposit was discovered by a Peace Corps volunteer named Norman Rilling, but this fact has not been documented. Subsequently, the honor of the discovery of a new ornamental stone was recorded for the jeweler Miguel Mendos from Santo Domingo. Initially, Mendes named the blue pectolite variety Travelina, but then decided to change the name.

Larimar got its trade name in honor of the daughter of a jeweler, Larisa, and for its color, which resembles the water surface of the Caribbean Sea with the reflection of clouds near the shores of the Dominican Republic.

Larimar is a semi-precious ornamental mineral of volcanic origin, which is one of the varieties of pectolite. Compared to other types of pectolite, larimar has a higher rating on the Mohs scale of hardness. Its indicators range from 5.5 to 7 units. The density of the mineral is from 2.74 to 2.90 g / cm³. Larimar is not a homogeneous stone in structure, but its layers have perfect cleavage.

Due to its volcanic origin, there are impurities of various metals in it, which ensures the uniqueness of the layers and color coloration. There are various shades of blue, from almost white to bright, turquoise, as well as gray and variscite-like green. The color of the mineral is caused by the admixture of copper and vanadium.

The chemical formula of larimar is NaCa2 Si3 O8 (OH). In addition to sodium hydroxide and calcium silicate, the mineral contains inclusions of magnesium, aluminum and potassium. Recently, specimens have been found that are blue in color with red veins formed by the germination of iron inside the stone.

Unlike pectolite, which has a lower hardness and forms sharp needles at the fracture, which are easy to injure, Larimar is easy to process and has smoother, albeit uneven, edges at the fracture. In the process of processing, the muddy stone acquires some transparency and a silky surface structure with color tints.

The very first larimar deposit was found in the Dominican Republic, in a place located 10 km north of the main road leading from Barahona to Bakhoruko. Today, the Filipinas mine Larimar, Los Cheches, Sierra de Baoruco in the southwestern province of Barahona is the only operating enterprise in the world for the extraction of a unique stone. In small quantities, larimar was found in the Bahamas, Haiti, Alaska. A small amount of larimar is mined in Italy.

The Larimara deposit was formed due to volcanic activity during the Miocene epoch. In the influx of lava and ash, gas pockets filled with various minerals have formed over millions of years in the place of burned-out trees.

Larimar is one such filler. The extraction of the mineral, even in the conditions of modern technologies, is carried out in the old-fashioned way, by hand. Descending into the mines, the miners split the lava layers with hammers, extracting the mineral. Then the stone is sorted. The best pieces are cleaned, polished and made into various crafts, from pendants to figurines.

Like all natural stones, larimar has medicinal and magical properties. Lithotherapists advise wearing Haitian turquoise products in the following cases:

• with problems with the respiratory system;
• with nervous disorders;
• if high blood pressure is worried;
• to get rid of inflammatory processes.

It is useful to have a dolphin stone for those who are prone to colds and cardiovascular diseases, and are also often stressed. Larimar will save pregnant women from uterine bleeding, and if you apply a stone to wounds and postoperative sutures, it will help reduce the risk of complications associated with inflammation.

The most effective way to get the most out of your atlantis is to wear beads, necklaces or pendants., that is, everything that is in the neck and chest area. Brooches worn on the chest from the side of the heart or near the neck will also be useful for medicinal purposes. A massage performed with larimar pebbles will give a good result.

As a talisman or amulet, Atlantis will be useful only to people with a kind heart and an open mind. A light, clean pebble is never suitable for use in dark affairs.But it can help cleanse a person's aura of accumulated negativity, bringing bright feelings and joy of being to the life of the owner of the amulet from larimar. For families, a statuette made of Haitian turquoise will help to maintain coziness and harmonious relations in the house, and for the lonely, a decoration or amulet from Atlantis will tell you where their soul mate is.

Timid, insecure people should also have a larimar amulet with them, as it helps to find peace of mind and gives the necessary courage to do things. For creative people, the dolphin stone will help find inspiration. It is especially useful for singers in the form of a pendant or necklace.

Due to its layered structure, natural stone gives a unique combination of various colors and color transitions. In nature, it is impossible to find two layers of stone with the same arrangement. Even products made from one piece will differ in color transition, pattern and transparency. Therefore, when choosing jewelry from larimar, you should pay special attention to the patterns on the stone.

The presence of very similar stones in one batch suggests that they are of artificial origin. Due to its volcanic origin and mining methods, natural stone products may have slight natural defects.

Another distinctive feature of natural stone is the blurring of boundaries and the depth of color transitions. If the proposed stone has clear borders of the pattern, located at the same level, this is one hundred percent fake. Due to the fact that the volumes of the mined stone are small and the extraction is done manually, the price of the finished product is quite high. Therefore, being tempted by a low price, there is a very high risk of running into a fake made of ceramics, glass or plastic. This is especially true for Chinese craftsmen.

Larimar, put up for sale, is supplied with a document confirming its origin. In order to choose the original, you should pay attention to how the name of the stone is written. If it is in quotation marks or the word "pressed" is present in the description, then you have a fake. Another sign that confirms the naturalness of the stone is the country of origin.

When choosing a pebble for yourself, you need to hold it in your hand. If the mineral is suitable, then a feeling of warmth will go from it. This means that the larimar will be of maximum benefit, and not just a beautiful decoration. Having picked up the jewelry, before using it, you must rinse it in running water in order to wash off someone else's energy from the stone.

According to the signs of the zodiac, Larimar is most suitable for Cancers, Pisces, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius and Taurus. The presence of blue pectolite in their lives will save them from family problems, negativity and nervous disorders. For Scorpio and Aries, larimar is useless as magical support, as for magicians and clairvoyants, while others can use a pebble as amulets, talismans and amulets.

When purchasing products from an expensive beautiful stone, one would like to preserve its beneficial properties and unique color. Since the larimar is quite hard, it should be protected from blows, because it will be impossible to restore the damaged area. The stone has a very negative attitude to the effects of chemical and abrasive substances. With the former, it can react, and the latter damage the polished surface of the stone, disrupting the entire beauty of the pattern.

Although atlantis is a light stone, it burns out when exposed to direct sunlight, losing the depth and beauty of its color. Therefore, products made of blue pectolite are best placed where direct sunlight does not fall. From time to time, the larimara is wet cleaned using a warm aqueous solution based on baby soap, in which the product is washed. Then it must be rinsed under running cold or melt water and blotted with a soft dry cloth.

For the properties of the stone, see the next video.