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Larimar Mine, Dominican Republic
Explore the world’s only larimar mine and discover the extraction process of this semiprecious gemstone
Larimar Mine
© Turismo de República DominicanaThe Mina de Larimar (Larimar Mine), popularly known as “Los Chupaderos”, is named after the town where the blue pectolite mine is located, approximately 10 kilometres away from Barahona city, in Enriquillo’s region. It is the world’s only one where this kind of material is to be found, thus it is quite an important resource for the country.
If you take the guided tour, you will learn everything about the dangerous extraction process of this semiprecious gemstone. The landscapes’ atmosphere is mystic and majestic, but once you are deeper into the visit, you understand the high difficulty and effort that the extraction implies.
The gemstone’s colour range goes from white to deep blue, light blue and blue-green in the middle of the scale. The deeper it is, the more valuable. It is also possible to find some gemstones with reddish traces, coming from iron. As it is a photosensitive gemstone, it fades with the passing of time.
In 1916, the then parish priest of Barahona, Miguel Domingo Fuertes de Loren, informed on a blue-stone discovering and requested the permission to excavate the land, but no one paid any attention to him. In 1974, Miguel Méndez and Norman Rilling (the last one was a member of the Peace Corps) rediscovered the “blue rocks” and Méndez named them as “larimar”; this name is a fusion between Larissa, his daughter’s name, and mar (sea in Spanish).
Plan your visit to this spectacular and unique mine and discover the beauty of this singular gemstone.
More information:
Location:
Los Chupaderos, 10 km away from Barahona, southwest Dominican Re
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