Identify and grade Larimar

Color attracts attention; evidence establishes identity. This section explains how to move from “it looks like Larimar” to a description that is useful, repeatable and honest.

Identification, grading and valuation are related, but they are not the same task:

• Identification asks what the material is.
• Provenance asks where it came from and how that history is documented.
• Grading describes the quality and character of the material under a stated system.
• Valuation considers grade together with size, workmanship, rarity, condition, documentation and market demand.

A dark-blue color does not prove that a stone is Larimar. A certificate does not automatically prove that every statement printed on it is independent. A high grade does not automatically produce a high value if the piece is damaged or poorly made. Gemstones, like people, become less confusing when we stop asking one label to do five jobs.

• Genuine Larimar and Common Look-Alikes — Visual clues, limitations and frequent sources of confusion.
• How Larimar Is Authenticated — Observation, gemological measurements and laboratory methods.
• The Larimar Miner Grading Standard — A transparent, versioned framework for describing material quality.
• How to Buy Larimar — Questions to ask before purchasing rough stone, jewellery or collector material.
• Certificates, Provenance and Traceability — What different documents can and cannot establish.
• What Determines Larimar’s Value? — The practical factors behind price without fortune-telling in a blue suit.