Uncovering Larimar

Nestled in the mountains of the Dominican Republic, in one of the country’s poorest regions, lies the world's only larimar mine, a striking blue semiprecious stone unique to the country. With its discovery and title as “national stone,” larimar has become a symbol of Dominican identity and is now one of the Caribbean country’s biggest industries.

Although larimar was known for years by local residents, the stone rose to prominence in 1979, when Miguel Méndez with the help of Norman Rilling, a Peace Corps volunteer, searched for the origin in the mountains. Méndez decided to name the stone “larimar,” an homage to his daughter Larissa and “mar” (“sea” in Spanish) for the deep turquoise color replicating the Caribbean Sea.

Along Barahona’s coastline, the larimar industry is booming, with workshops, stores, and roadside stalls dotting the area, and residents sporting larimar necklaces, rings, and earrings. In Santo Domingo and other tourists areas, it has become a popular souvenir and is only growing more popular. Between 2024 and 2025, the export of larimar tripled from approximately 95,000 pounds in 2024 to 291,000 pounds in 2025, according to the Dominican government.

With huge global demand for larimar, the Dominican government has worked furiously to protect the industry including banning the export of raw, unpolished stones and obtaining legal protection from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which was granted in July 2025, all to keep larimar in the hands of Dominicans.