# Padparadscha - Page: https://taslar.bumba.tr/en/stones/padparadscha/ - Turkish: Padparadscha - Also known as: Padparadscha sapphire - Kind: Variety - Classification: Minerals › Oxides and hydroxides - Chemical formula: Al₂O₃ - Crystal system: Trigonal - Hardness (Mohs): 9 - Specific gravity: 3.98–4.1 g/cm³ - Refractive index: 1.759–1.772 - Lustre: Adamantine, Vitreous (glassy) - Transparency: Transparent, Translucent, Opaque - Colours: pinkish orange, orangey pink, salmon - Streak: White - Cleavage: None; may show parting that resembles cleavage - Fracture: Uneven to conchoidal - Value ladder: 8/9 step, Top precious stone The sapphire that balances pink and orange: named after the colour of the lotus, it is among the most sought-after fancy sapphires. Padparadscha is the name given to sapphire (that is, the mineral corundum) within a narrow colour range between pinkish orange and orangey pink; it is a colour designation, not a separate mineral. The name comes from a word meaning “lotus coloured” in Sinhala, the language of Sri Lanka. It has been mined in Sri Lanka for centuries, and in recent decades it has also been found in Madagascar, Tanzania and Vietnam. It ranks among the most valuable fancy sapphires. ## How does it form? Like other sapphires, padparadscha is [corundum](/en/stones/corundum/): the hard crystalline form of aluminium oxide, which can only grow in rocks rich in aluminium and poor in silica. Its colour is a blend of two components: according to Wikipedia, the pink and the yellow-to-orange components may arise from different colour centres in the crystal. In sapphire the pink tones mostly come from traces of chromium. A perfect balance of the two is unusual, and that is where padparadscha's rarity comes from. Most Sri Lankan padparadschas are recovered from secondary deposits: after the host rock weathered away, rivers carried the crystals into the gravel layers around Ratnapura. Because sapphire is so hard and durable, it survives this journey. ## What is it used for? - **Jewellery:** Padparadscha is set as a centre stone in rings, necklaces and earrings. Its hardness (9) and lack of cleavage make it suitable for everyday wear. - **Collecting:** Large, unheated stones with stable colour are among the most sought-after fancy sapphires for collectors and at auction. - **Gemmology:** The definition of padparadscha and the stability of its colour have long been debated and studied by gem laboratories. ## Name and definition “Padparadscha” comes from a Sinhala word meaning “lotus coloured”. It is a colour designation, not a mineral name: in 1983 Robert Crowningshield of GIA restricted it to light- to medium-toned pinkish orange and orange-pink sapphires. In 2005 the Laboratory Manual Harmonisation Committee (LMHC) took pastel tones of low to medium saturation as the standard. Some gemmologists, such as Richard W. Hughes, argue that deeper, more vivid tones were historically called by this name as well. ## Is the colour stable? In some pinkish orange sapphires the orange component is unstable: after long exposure to strong light or daylight it can fade, and the stone turns pink. That is why GIA tests sapphires that may be called padparadscha by keeping them under intense light for a few hours; the colour after the test closely matches what the stone would show after being worn in daylight. In 2022 GIA also reported the opposite effect, with some pink sapphires gaining orange colour in light. ## How to recognise it - Its colour is neither fully pink nor fully orange but a blend of the two, often likened to salmon. A stone that is too pink counts as a pink sapphire, and one that is too orange as an orange sapphire. - Being a sapphire, it is very hard (Mohs 9) and heavy for its size; glass and most imitations are much softer. - Before using the name padparadscha, laboratories test colour stability by keeping the stone under strong light for a few hours; if the orange component fades and the stone turns pink, it does not qualify. - Whether a stone has been beryllium-diffused, whether it is synthetic and where it comes from cannot be seen by eye; that takes a gem laboratory report. ## Fakes and imitations - Beryllium diffusion: pink sapphires heated to very high temperatures together with beryllium can take on a pinkish orange colour resembling padparadscha. Under laboratory standards such a stone is not called padparadscha. - Synthetic padparadscha: made by flame fusion and by flux growth. Flame-fusion stones may show curved growth lines and gas bubbles, flux-grown stones fingerprint-like inclusions and metallic platelets. - Irradiation: a yellow-orange component can be added to pink sapphires by irradiation; this is not an accepted padparadscha either. Only heat treatment is accepted, and it should be disclosed. ## What determines its value? Colour matters most: a balanced, lively and even blend of pink and orange is the most sought after. The colour must be stable in light; the name is not given until a laboratory confirms that it does not fade. Only heat treatment is accepted; unheated stones, and stones from Sri Lanka with their long-established reputation, are valued more highly. Large, clean stones are very rare, so size raises the value quickly. This information is educational, not buying, selling or investment advice. Value varies enormously with quality and treatment. ## Myths and misconceptions - Myth: Genuine padparadscha comes only from Sri Lanka. Fact: Sri Lanka is the historic source and some dealers reserve the name for its stones, but the international laboratory standard (LMHC) allows the name for stones of any origin. Padparadscha has also come from Madagascar, Tanzania and Vietnam. - Myth: Any pinkish orange sapphire is a padparadscha. Fact: Stones brought to this colour by beryllium diffusion or irradiation do not qualify. In some pink sapphires the orange component also fades in light; GIA does not call a stone padparadscha if its colour falls outside the range after this test. ## What is it believed to be good for? This section reports beliefs; it is not health information. There is no scientific evidence for these claims and no stone replaces medical treatment. - Today crystal-therapy and gem-seller websites claim that padparadscha supports creativity and artistic expression, helps one open up to love and new relationships, and balances the chakras. What science says: There is no scientific evidence that padparadscha boosts creativity, brings love or balances chakras. Its colour comes from colour centres formed by trace elements and defects in the corundum crystal; the orange component that can fade in light is a physical property of the stone. ## Did you know? - In ancient Indian texts the Sanskrit word padmaraga (padma: lotus, raga: colour) actually referred to a kind of ruby; Richard W. Hughes writes that today's name “padparadscha” is a corrupted form of this word. - Princess Eugenie of the United Kingdom has a padparadscha sapphire at the centre of her engagement ring, estimated by the International Gem Society at three to four carats. ## Where is it found? - Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa, Sri Lanka (Major deposit): Sri Lanka is the historic and most celebrated source of padparadscha; the gem gravels of the Ratnapura district are its best-known deposit - Tunduru, Ruvuma Region, Tanzania (Known locality): Richard W. Hughes mentions fine padparadschas from the Tunduru region - Quỳ Châu, Nghệ An, Vietnam (Known locality): According to Hughes, fine padparadscha has also come from this district; the IGS reports small quantities from Vietnam - Madagascar (Known locality): A significant source since the late 1990s; shown at country level because sources name the deposits differently ## Sources - [Padparadscha Sapphire Value, Price, and Jewelry Information](https://www.gemsociety.org/article/padparadscha-sapphire/), International Gem Society - [Padparadscha Sapphire from Sri Lanka: A History (R. W. Hughes)](https://ruby-sapphire.com/articles/806-padparadscha-sapphire-from-sri-lanka-a-history), Lotus Gemology / ruby-sapphire.com - [GIA Observes Unusual Color Change in Sapphires](https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-press/gia-observes-unusual-color-change-in-sapphires), GIA, 2022 - [Sapphire Description (Gem Encyclopedia)](https://www.gia.edu/sapphire-description), GIA - [Sapphire (Padparadscha)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire), Wikipedia - [Safir (Padparadscha)](https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safir), Vikipedi - [Padparadscha (gem)](https://www.gemdat.org/gem-39947.html), Gemdat.org - [Handbook of Mineralogy: Corundum](https://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/corundum.pdf), Mineralogical Society of America - [Tunduru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunduru), Wikipedia - [Quỳ Châu district](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu%E1%BB%B3_Ch%C3%A2u_district), Wikipedia Source: https://taslar.bumba.tr/en/stones/padparadscha/ · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0