Frequently asked questions

• What is larimar?

  Larimar is the blue variety of pectolite, a sodium calcium silicate that crystallizes in the triclinic system. Traces of copper give it the blue; the white marbling is paler pectolite and veinlets of calcite, and red or brown plumes are hematite. It is found in one volcanic deposit in Barahona province in the Dominican Republic, and that single small source sets its price across every grade.
• How hard is larimar, and what is it used for?

  Larimar has a Mohs hardness of 4.5 to 5, softer than quartz at 7 and a little softer than turquoise at 5 to 6, so it scratches and chips more easily than agate or jasper. Its fine fibrous structure makes it tough for its hardness, and it takes a high polish. Earrings, pendants and necklaces are its strongest uses; bracelets suit occasional wear, and it is not a ring stone. On a strand, knots between the beads or soft bumpers on beading wire stop bead-on-bead wear, which matters most on faceted edges.
• How is larimar cleaned and stored?

  Mild soap, lukewarm water and a soft cloth. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners, hot water, solvents and household cleaners are out, and perfume, hairspray and lotion go on before the jewelry does. Heat is the proven risk to the color: in GIA's tests a jeweler's torch turned larimar whiter, while long exposure to strong light left it unchanged, so the standing advice is to keep finished pieces out of long direct sun and high heat. Larimar is stored apart from harder stones, in a soft pouch.
• What do the grades A, AA and AAA mean on larimar?

  Grade follows the blue. A grade carries the most white and a paler blue; AA is more saturated, with less white; AAA is the deepest blue with little white, the smallest share of the rough and the scarcest in larger sizes. Larimar with matrix keeps patches of its host rock and is sold ungraded. Larimar is natural and untreated as a rule; the few strands that are dyed say so in the title.
• Which larimar cuts and sizes suit which projects?

  Rounds and rondelles from 3mm to 6mm are the sizes for delicate necklaces, layered strands and earring drops, where the pattern reads as a soft blue wash. 8mm and 10mm rounds, puff coins, ovals and pebble or nugget cuts show the marbling bead by bead and carry a focal or a pendant on their own. Faceted rondelles and microfaceted rounds add light return but expose more edges to chipping, so they belong in low-impact pieces. Heishi and tyre cuts string flat and sit well beside metal spacers and other soft pastels such as pink opal and moonstone.