this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2025
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I love larimar. It's a subtype of pectolite unique to the Dominican Republic. Pectolite is usually gray or white but larimar picked up its distinctive blue coloration from the copper deposits and volcanic activity there. It looks like the bottom of a perfectly clean pool or the shallows of the carribean when the sun is shining through the water.
how do identify larimar? i have a beautiful stone that looks very similar to my untrained eye. it was a gift from a student
It should be that Carribean blue shade, but the color can vary in intensity. It might be mottled with lighter white spots. It usually has the distinct water ripple pattern but not always. If it's polished it will have a dense, smooth texture without any graininess, and maybe feel just a touch waxy.
It's pretty unique in color and patterning, so if a web search for larimar turns up pieces that look similar to yours it is, in all likelihood, larimar. It's a rare stone but not at all unreasonable to get a piece the size of a finger joint for under $50 depending on the grade. If a student gave you a piece, that was a nice gift :)
I just asked my wife, the student didn't say what it was but said it was from Afghanistan. Our best bet is it's turquoise