What a strange word “Padparadsha”! What color do experts mean when they use it? It’s a wonderful duet of orange and pink that so much resembles the most vivid moments of sunset.
Padparadscha sapphires are a miracle of nature – very rare gemstones highly valued by jewelry experts and collectors. The word itself originates from the language of Sri Lanka but locals pronounce it in a different way – “Padmaraga” which means “the color of a lotus” in Sanskrit.
The gorgeous rare gemstones have been found only in Sri Lanka, which is believed to be the land of the finest samples of the stone, Tanzania and Madagascar. Exceptionally the wealthiest of the world can afford luxurious jewelry with Padparadscha sapphires. The royal couple of England, for instance, chose this gemstone for wedding rings and other statement jewelry pieces which marked other significant events. Thus, a unique ring with the splendid pink-orange gemstone was noticed by press and guests at the engagement ceremony of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in 2018.
The magic color of a sunset lotus winning hearts of collectors
The associations brought by orange-pink sapphires are truly warm and pleasant. This color of a sunset sky reveals memories of the most cherished and romantic moments of life to many people. No wonder, that they wish these memories to be lasting and close as a tiny cross on the chest.
With its mild pink-orange reflections, Padparadscha sapphires seem to bring the treasured desires from your mind to life. They deserve poems and songs written by the most prominent talents.
Given by nature, the rare gemstone of the perfect unique color should find a thoughtful mind and delicate hands to become a coveted one-of-a-kind jewelry piece. Designers usually use Padparadscha sapphires in rose gold jewelry because the combination with this precious metal is truly appealing.
Gemstone hues after cutting
Padparadscha sapphires are light-tone gemstones so they clearly reveal inclusions, if any. That is why the most expensive Padparadscha sapphires feature perfect clarity. Nonetheless, to find Padparadscha sapphires without any cloudiness is like finding a pearl in a lake, so consumers are often ready to agree to the lack of clarity in Padparadscha sapphires but they still expect the gemstones to be bright and vibrant in their color.
The extreme rarity of the gemstones makes jewelry makers be parsimonious, so they do not cut off the material of the gemstones to achieve ideal shapes. It means that Padparadscha sapphires can be asymmetrical and roughly cut. This imperfection is also beautiful and even more unique to many.
At the same time, the appropriate setting can hide the imperfection of a sapphire. One of the most popular and trendy choices is the halo setting. The center sapphire is circled by tiny gemstones which add brilliance and vibrance to the bigger stone, and make it shine even more beautifully. Another advantage of such setting is the possibility to apply it to a stone of any shape or cut.
Is it possible to get a super rare pink-orange sapphire jewelry piece these days?
Many people would wish to possess a Padparadscha sapphire jewelry piece but only few can really afford it. It makes the industry work in this direction and somehow satisfy the demand. Jewelry makers have developed a number of techniques which allow to imitate the Padparadscha color in sapphires. When the mass consumer found out about Padparadscha sapphires in the late 1990s, the market came up with a suspiciously high offer of the gemstones. The magic disappeared with the information that the gemstones had been created with a new revolutionary method of treatment.
That method allowed to get a bright color in poorly colored gemstones containing beryllium through extreme heating. That trick was met with a new method of gemstone testing that allowed to identify real Padparadscha sapphires.
Today the market has both artificially created Padparadscha sapphires and real ones but the latter are strictly limited in their availability. Real gemstones are very expensive and can be purchased by the richest people only. Padparadscha sapphires created artificially are rather expensive too, but more affordable to the mass consumer.
Gemstones found in Madagascar are rather pink than orange and they do not require heating at extreme temperatures to look fine. For color improvement, such stones are heated at a lower temperature and for a shorter period of time. As for the gemstones found in Sri Lanka, they require more extreme procedure of heating.
Speaking of the royal family of England and other wealthy people, they tend to prefer Padparadscha sapphires found in Sri Lanka as the land believed for centuries to be the only place where the gorgeous pink-orange sapphire existed. Probably, the most gorgeous samples of the gemstone truly belong to this land, although Madagascar has taken the rule over the Padparadscha sapphires market by now.
Hunting for the rarest color in sapphire
It is not easy to satisfy the desire even of multimillionaires who wish to wear pink-orange sapphires jewelry pieces and give them to younger generations within their families. Non-artificial stones created by nature are truly scarce. The unique combination of orange and pink is the hardest-to-find color in sapphires. The market has a growing demand for Padparadscha sapphires and the value of such stones continues to grow every year, so the best compromise is purchasing a top-quality heated gemstone with the color similar to Padparadscha.
Experts recommend the gemstones heated at moderate temperatures because this procedure does not ultimately alternate the color of the stone and inclusions inside of it, it only delicately adds to its natural shining.
Symbolism of Padparadscha sapphires
It is believed that the rare gemstone has the following non-physical properties:
- the stone helps to find harmony inside of your mind and clarity in your thoughts.
- It symbolizes creativity and romance. Padparadscha sapphires are believed to be the perfect choice for singers, artists and writers who cannot work without inspiration.
- It is a symbol of love that does not have any envy.
- Many people associate the gemstone with devotion and enthusiasm which is very useful for realization of career ambitions.
It is also believed that Padparadscha sapphires fill up with energy and power, especially in romantic relationships. At the same time, it can calm the thoughts and helps to get rid of depressive mood and mental tension.
These stones are good for researchers, historians, archeologists. They bring people to philosophic ideas and reasoning. Ministers, civil servants and politicians are recommended the stone for stimulating their wisdom and making smart decisions.
Interesting enough, but Padparadscha sapphires are also applied in industries as highly durable and hard gemstones. For example, they can be used as components of scientific devices or movement bearings.
The gemstone is a good choice for those who are not fully satisfied with their life and wants changes. A Padparadscha sapphire can become an additional hidden motivation to act and strive for the better. The stone also strengthens self-confidence and inner harmony, so such jewelry will let you take what you already have with gratitude. If you need to judge any difficult situation, this gemstone will also be helpful. It is considered to boost the capability of judging fairly and distinguishing things clearly. Padparadscha sapphires also help you hold to the chosen path when the opposition is strong, which is very important in politics.
