Origin of bluish pectolite aka larimar from the Dominican Republic: Constraints from mineralogy and geochemistry

Abstract

Highlights: • The mixing of volcanic and meteoric waters gave rise to larimar formation. • Larimar crystallized under low-temperature conditions <170 °C. • Temperature drop and boiling conditions favored the precipitation first green, then blue and white pectolite. The commonly known larimar is usually a gem-quality, bluish pectolite, intergrown with other associated minerals such as natrolite, prehnite, calcite, chlorite, found only in the Dominican Republic.