Padparadscha Sapphire Color Analysis

Om mani padme hum –
Hail the jewel in the heart of the lotus

—Buddhist mantra

lotus and sunset

A marriage made in heaven
The ideal color of a padparadscha has been described by some as the marriage between a lotus flower and a sunset, each shown above. Photos © Richard W. Hughes/RWH Publishing & Books

Padparadscha sapphire is a special variety of gem corundum, featuring a color that is a mixture of pink and orange - a marriage between ruby and yellow sapphire. The term is derived from the Sanskrit/Singhalese padmaraga, a color akin to the lotus flower. Some define the gem's color as a blend of lotus and sunset. It is among the most beautiful and valuable of the corundum gems. Prices for padparadschas vary greatly according to size and quality. At the top end, they may reach as much as US$30,000 per carat.

The original locality for padparadscha was Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Fine stones have also been found in Vietnam's Quy Chau district, Tanzania's Tunduru district, and Madagascar. Stones from these latter three areas are sometimes heat-treated.

The AGTA GTC has worked closely with the Laboratory Manual Harmonization Committee (LMHC) to establish consistent standards for the definition of padparadscha. To determine if a gem does fall into the accepted range of a padparadscha, it will be compared under controlled lighting conditions to a range of standards, including master stones, printed samples and others. Gems that do fall into the padparadscha range will receive a "Padparadscha Sapphire" notation on our Identification Report.

There is an additional fee for Padparadscha Color Analysis. See our Fee Schedule for details.

Padparadscha ID Report
Sample AGTA GTC Padparadscha Identification Report. Click on the report for a larger image.

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