Padparadscha is a sapphire of soft pinkish orange to orangey pink. Its tones are pastel and its saturation low to medium.
In more detail
The name refers to the lotus flower. Under the LMHC definition, it can come from any country, and heated stones keep the name. Diffusion, glass filling, irradiation, dye and coating rule the name out. A color stability test is mandatory: a stone that shifts out of range, for example to pink, loses the name.
On a grading report
Identification: (natural) corundum. Species: padparadscha (sapphire). A stone that fails the stability test is named pink sapphire or fancy sapphire.
Related terms
- Fancy sapphire: A fancy sapphire is a sapphire of any color other than blue, such as yellow, orange, pink, purple or green.
- Sapphire: Sapphire is corundum of any color other than red. The word alone means a blue stone; other colors take a color word, such as yellow sapphire.
- Stability: Stability is a gem's resistance to damage from heat, light and chemicals.
- Beryllium diffusion: Beryllium diffusion is heating corundum with an added element, such as beryllium. The element diffuses into the crystal and changes its color.
- Heat treatment: Heat treatment is controlled heating of a gem to change its color or clarity.