Padparadscha is one of the world‘s most expensive gems, with prices similar to those fetched by fine ruby or emerald. The best cabochons are reasonably transparent, with nice smooth domes of good symmetry. Cabochon-cut padparadschas are not often seen (this cut is used for star stones, or those not clean enough to facet). Slight premiums are paid for round stones. Ovals and cushions are the most common, but rounds are also seen, as are other shapes, such as the emerald cut. Due to the shape of the rough, stones are often cut with overly deep pavilions. In the market, padparadschas are found in a variety of shapes and cutting styles. Thus again, the emphasis is on eye-clean stones. Because of the pastel shades of most padparadschas, any inclusions will be quite visible. Buyers should look for stones which are eye-clean, i.e., with no inclusions visible to the unaided eye. In terms of clarity, padparadscha sapphires tend to be cleaner than ruby. Incandescent lights, whose output is tilted towards the red end of the spectrum, do not do most blue sapphires justice. Sapphires generally look best viewed with fluorescent light or daylight (particularly around just after sunrise and before sunset). The most valuable padparadschas display a delicate mixture of pink and orange, similar to the crystal shown above. Unlike other rubies and sapphires, the finest color of padparadscha is not directly a function of color intensity (saturation). Thus most traders do not feel they qualify as true padparadschas. While they are orange, their color tends to be much darker than the ideal, with brownish overtones. Today, some define the gem's color as a blend of lotus and sunset.Ī further complication is with orange sapphires from Tanzania’s Umba Valley. Most lotus blossoms are far more pink than orange, and in ancient times, padmaraga was described as a subvariety of ruby ( cf.the Hindu Garuda Purana). Padparadscha is derived from the Sanskrit/Singhalese padmaraga, a color akin to the lotus flower (Nelumbo Nucifera ‘Speciosa’). But the original use of the term was somewhat different.
Today, padparadscha is narrowly defined by Western gemologists as a Sri Lankan sapphire of delicate pinkish orange color. The question of just what qualifies for the princely kiss of “padparadscha” is a matter of hot debate, even among experts. Padparadscha sapphire is a special variety of gem corundum, featuring a delicate color that is a mixture of pink and orange – a marriage between ruby and yellow sapphire.
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