Larimar City & Resort discovers the essence of larimar with Casa Caridad and JOARLA

November is a particularly meaningful month for us. We celebrate National Larimar Day, the gemstone that gives our project its name, in the fifth anniversary year of Larimar City & Resort.

To mark the occasion, we wanted to visit Casa Caridad, one of the most established jewellery houses in the country, to learn a little more about the origins of this stone, the story of the family business and its commitment to preserving a heritage that is part of the identity of an entire nation.

Casa Caridad celebrates 50 years in business this year and, as you might expect, the second generation has taken over with a very special proposal: JOARLA, a brand that combines an entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and contemporary design with the craftsmanship and values of a long-established house.

To see it up close, we visited their shop in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, where we were welcomed by Joarla Caridad, director of JOARLA, and her sister Jorelis Caridad. They showed us some of their most special pieces and we talked about tradition, craftsmanship and passing on knowledge through their workshop school, but also about innovation and finding your place in a market that never stops changing.

Their essence remains the same: conveying the identity of the Dominican Republic through its most emblematic stones, such as amber and larimar. Jewellery whose colours evoke energy, peace, nature and all the beauty that has characterised Casa Caridad for decades. Now, with a younger and more contemporary outlook.

And so our conversation begins

What does it mean for JOARLA to turn 10 as the second generation of a house like Casa Caridad?

Being part of Casa Caridad means being family. Since we were little, we have seen how the values of a country are looked after. We want to keep creating special pieces and developing the essence of our family and our company.

This year you turn 50. How many people are directly linked to Casa Caridad and JOARLA?

Our direct team is made up of around 50 people, across the shop, the workshop, management and the commercial area. But our links with the industry go further, supporting the extraction of the stone, its conservation and, now, its registration too. A journey that ends in the hands of the customer, touching the essence of our country.

The authenticity register for larimar has recently been regulated internationally. Do you think the effect of this regulation will be significant for you? How will it affect you?

It is indeed good news to have an international register certifying the authentic origin of the stone. A register that, moreover, will be run in the Dominican Republic, so that its impact is genuinely positive across the whole industry, from mining through to the consumer, wherever they are. We have good reason to celebrate in this month dedicated to our national stone.

Where does the inspiration for your JOARLA jewellery come from?

JOARLA is a reinterpretation of 50 years of experience, where all that history is reflected in more sophisticated designs, unique pieces and more complex creations, such as rings with small stones and spherical finishes.

We keep working to make our creations more exclusive and to stay at the forefront of the fine jewellery market. Pieces finished in gold and silver, inspired by what best represents our country, the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican diaspora living abroad is very large, but there are also many tourists who want to take a part of our essence home turned into jewellery.

That is right, Dominicans still love their land, and so do many of the tourists who visit us. Both in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo and in our recently opened shop in Punta Cana, at the Dominicania plaza, they want to take home the reflection of the Caribbean Sea in a piece of jewellery they will never forget.

And not only that, also the essence of our amber, with that very special yellow that characterises it.

That is why our creations continue to represent our traditions. One example is the pilón, a symbol of Dominican culture that you can now wear around your neck with pride. And we have many more pieces that tell stories about our country.

This month we are also celebrating our first five years in the Dominican Republic at Larimar City & Resort, along with the progress of our project in Punta Cana. A city that is driving a new way of understanding conscious urban planning on the island, with technology at the service of people, wellbeing and contact with nature. All of it in a unique setting, our cliff.

That is why we wanted to get closer to the origin of this stone, the jewel of the Caribbean that gives our smart city its name, and to meet first-hand those who have spent so many years working to preserve its essence. And, of course, we could not end this visit without inviting you to celebrate our fifth anniversary with us.

We would be delighted to join you, and for some of the finest pieces from Casa Caridad to be present at the event. But let us not give away any more for now... We want to keep a surprise or two and share all the essence of larimar with you!

There are stories that deserve to be told and traditions that we should keep looking after. That of Casa Caridad and JOARLA is one of them: a story of family, of entrepreneurship, of respect for one's origins and of passion for a stone that represents the beauty of the Dominican Republic like few others.

At Larimar City & Resort we share that pride in our identity and that excitement about building a future that does not forget its roots.

If you would like to discover more about our visit to Casa Caridad and see the creations of JOARLA, we invite you to follow our social media and visit the websites of both houses.