Padparadscha Sapphire Jewelry

One of the most delicate and exciting gemstones is the padparadscha sapphire. A padparadscha is defined as a delicately colored sapphire with light to medium tones of pinkish-orange, orangey pink to orange pink hues. A more romantic definition is the color that you get when the orange sunset kisses pink lotus leaf petals.

A plain orange or a plain pink stone is not considered a padparadscha. The key to the color is that it should be delicate. Some people say that it can have secondary tones of yellow or brown. Others believe that brown should be avoided. Almost all sapphires today, including padparadscha's are heated. What must be avoided are stones that are "treated". Pink or orange sapphires are substantially cheaper.

Padparadscha's were originally found in Sri Lanka. Today, great examples come from Tanzania's Umba river and the Rocky Mountains.

One of the most famous padparadscha's is the Morgan padparadscha which weighs in at 100 carats. This can be found at the Natural History Museum in New York. When I went to go look at it I was surprised that this fantastic gem was set in an exhibit with a bunch of other much less valued stones among which its beauty was somewhat lost. If you have not heard of this stone, it would be quite easily missed. This is quite a pity for one of the most fantastic gemstones in the world. A padparadscha is highly sought after by jewelry connoisseurs and those who appreciate fine jewelry.