Padparadscha: A Marriage of Sunsets & Lotus Flowers February 20 2016

Sapphires are some of the finest colored gemstones in the world. With a growing trend for jewelry with a highlight for personality, sapphires serve as an ideal candidate for a wide variety of rings, pendants and bracelets. One particular sapphire, that captures traits of rarity and natural elegance is the padparadscha. Adored by gem connoisseurs, this sapphire has continued to stun audiences across the globe with its unique color and extreme rarity.

The name, padparadscha, is derived from the Sanskrit word referring to the lotus blossom, which incidentally is the national flower of Sri Lanka. However, its color is more of a marriage between the color of the sunset and the lotus blossom as it features a hue that has not yet been uniformly decided by the gem society but lies in a vivid spectrum between pink and orange. Essentially, this gemstone features a lovely light pinkish-orange salmon color that has been treasured by collectors, dealers and clients for many generations.

The padparadscha is often prized for its light hue and high clarity. However, this means that the inclusions within the crystalline structure are often made visible. Due to its rarity, finding one that has few to no inclusions will generally command a substantial price (high end padparadschas may reach up to $30,000/carat) that is well worth its representation of unique beauty. Furthermore, these gemstones are often cut to preserve the color and utilize as much of the material as possible as they tend to be in short supply throughout the global market. As a result, the padparadscha has gotten a reputation of being received in unusual and asymmetrical shapes.

For many centuries, Sri Lanka has been the finest and only source of these incredibly rare padparadschas. Despite, several other geographical locations such as Madagascar and Tanzania claiming similar gemstones, they often are priced at a discount and do not feature the same elusive hue offered by those of Sri Lankan origin. For example, it has been reported that these gems from Madagascar tend to be identified by gem experts as more pink and hence less rare than their Sri Lankan counterparts.

Padparadschas are prized for its elusivity and special color and serve as immaculate centerpieces for jewelry. Getting your hands on one of these gemstones would truly be an incredible opportunity.