Customer FAQs

How can I tell if my Larimar is of good Quality?
the craftsmanship of Wholesale Larimar pieces is evident when you feel and see each piece. The stones are cut by expert lapidary artists, the metal work is done by master craftsmen from all over the world. It is difficult to grade Larimar because there are so many factors, we recommend you read grading the stone for more information. The biggest giveaway is always the quality of the craftsmanship, how is the stone cut? How is the polish, what kind of metal is it set in (it may be sold as “silver” this does not necessarily mean sterling silver)? What is the quality of the setting?

Is Larimar treated?
There are one or two disreputable dealers out there that are attempting to dye the stone. At the moment we know of no one who is doing this well enough to pass a superficial inspection. The stones have an ‘odd’ color and look a little too perfect (a natural stones is rarely perfect).Soak your piece in water for a couple of days and see if the water changes color slightly. If it fades after a few months for no apparent reason, this may also indicate that the stone was dyed.

How do I know if my Larimar is real?
There are other stones on the market that bear a superficial resemblance to Larimar. One simple test is specific gravity. Larimar is a dense stone, so it will feel much heavier than many of the “fakes”. It is also much harder. Try and scratch your stone with a knife, Larimar will not mark easily. There are instances of dealers selling all kinds of products as Larimar, such as fiber optic glass, Peruvian opal, blue chalcedony etc. Hemimorphite is often sold as Larimar; it comes from China, is soft and will scratch quite easily. When people are not educated about their purchases and do not buy from reputable dealers anything is possible. As with any product, buy from a reputable dealer.

Does Larimar come from the ocean?
No, the only deposit is a one square kilometer area of a remote mountain in the Dominican Republic.

Is it a hard stone?
Yes, excellent for jewelry use, it is equal in hardness to quartz and Amethyst. It will not scratch easily and is quite durable.

What is the energy of the stone?
Metaphysically the stone is highly energetic. It is a Earth healing stone and is used for grid work, bringing serenity to the environment, opening and stimulating the heart, throat, third-eye, and crown chakra, assisting to facilitate inner wisdom and outer manifestation.

Why is it so expensive?
Larimar is a very rare and very unique stone. It has beautiful colors and patterning, is excellent for jewelry because of its hardness, and it has very desirable metaphysical properties. Obviously the stone is in demand. The reason it is expensive, is the very limited supply; It is a single source stone with a deposit of less than a square mile (Tanzanite, for comparison, occurs in a twenty mile are of land). It is mined manually by hand and takes a tremendous amount of effort to find. The mines are in a remote mountain range. There are long periods of time when little or no stone is being excavated. More then 90% of the extracted stone is not suitable for Jewelry use. Perhaps the question should be why isn’t it more expensive?