from Gemworld International: Padparadscha
Among these “fancy sapphires,” padparadscha, the delicate pure pink-orange variety, is the most popular and arguably the rarest.
Prominent corundum varieties ruby and blue sapphire have been the best known and celebrated gemstones for even longer than diamonds. Modern gem traders delight in the other colors of sapphires, from yellow to pink.
The idealized description of padparadscha is an untreated sapphire from Sri Lanka displaying equal amounts of pink and orange, in light tones, without any brown modifier. The color has been romanticized as the “tropical sunset” or “a lotus blossom” in many texts, yet neither of these romantic descriptions provides a clear picture. Ruby and sapphire authority Richard Hughes describes the color as the mixture of sunset and lotus flower colors. He wrote a well-versed article on padparadscha description called “The Ownership of Words,” found on the Lotus Gemology website here.
Tap here for the complete feature report by Çiğdem Lüle, PhD, FGA, GIA GG, DGA
