Padparadscha sapphire

The fanciest fancy-colored sapphires evoke a tropical sunset

Of all the fancy-colored sapphires in the marketplace, the rarest and most valuable is the elusive padparadscha, a pinkish orange variety of corundum found in Sri Lanka and named after the Sinhalese word for “lotus color.” Described as the perfect marriage between a pink lotus blossom and a fiery sunset, the gem comes with an apocryphal heritage that lends it an exotic mystique. But what, exactly, qualifies as a bona fide padparadscha? Gemologist Robert Crowningshield tackled the subject in his still-relevant Spring 1983 article for Gems & Gemology. Finding that “the term padparadscha was applied initially to fancy sapphires of a range of colors in stones” from Sri Lanka, he urged the gem community to limit its use, suggesting that light to medium tones of pinkish orange to orange-pink hues would qualify, whereas dark or medium brownish orange corundum wouldn’t. The trade hasn’t always respected his words, dubiously marketing some brown-tinged Tanzanian stones using the coveted “pad” label, but among connoisseurs, the look of a true pad — imagine a vodka cocktail splashed with equal parts grapefruit and cranberry juice — is unmistakable.

Think pinkish Jeffrey Bilgore took third in the classic category of the 2008 AGTA Spectrum Awards for this 0.05 carat Padparadscha sapphire and platinium ring, with a report from American Gemological Laboratories. Price upon request

Loose stone image provided by ICA; ring photo by Jeffrey Bilgore