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2 clusters · 5 sources · 20 days · First seen · Last updated

Dominican Republic larimar production and artisanal sector

Overview

The Dominican Republic is navigating economic and structural challenges regarding the production and commercialization of its semi-precious stones, specifically larimar.

In September 2026, the government expressed intentions to increase the domestic value of larimar by transitioning from artisanal extraction to a productive chain that includes local jewelry manufacturing. This initiative follows a significant upward trend in production, with the first half of 2026 seeing an 81% increase compared to the previous year.

However, by October 2026, the Dominican Foundation for the Development of Craftsmanship (Fundarte) warned of a crisis within the artisanal sector. The organization cited difficulties in accessing raw materials like larimar and amber due to the uncontrolled export of stones in their raw state. Fundarte also reported that the sale of foreign imitations in tourist areas is undermining local producers, leading to calls for a legal protection framework, tax incentives, and stricter inspections to support authentic Dominican craftsmanship.

Entities

Dominican Republic · Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs · Ministry of Culture · Fundarte · Ministry of Energy and Mines

Timeline

  1. [CULTURE] 3 sources
    Fundarte warns of crisis facing Dominican artisanal sector

    Fundarte warns that the Dominican artisanal sector faces a crisis due to high raw material costs, the export of raw larimar and amber, and the sale of foreign imitations in tourist areas.

  2. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Dominican Republic seeks to increase value of larimar production

    The Dominican Republic aims to boost the economic value of larimar by developing local jewelry and manufacturing sectors to process the stone before international export.

Sources

eldinero.com.do · elnacional.com.do · elnuevodiario.com.do · elveedordigital.com · teleradioamerica.com