Larimar is a rare brilliant sky/ sea blue stone in the pectolite family, and is found only in the Dominican Republic. Red colored inclusions in Larimar indicate traces of iron. It was not until 1974 that blue pectolite was rediscovered by a visiting member of the US Peace Corps, Norman Rilling, along with a local Dominican, Miguel Méndez. The few amazing stones they found were washed into the sea by the Bahoruco River. They named it Larimar after the Spanish word, “mar,” for “sea,” and Méndez's daughter, Larissa. Larimar in contemporary stone lore is rumored to aid with patience, acceptance, and self-expression.