New here, wanting an nice pad...

[VapidLapid]

Greetings PS-ers

Though I am new here you have all already helped me with tons of information I have gotten from reading these threads. I have looked at so many pictures online these last few days that I am going bonkerz. Your thoughts and opinions would be most appreciated!

here are two that I am possibly considering maybe kinda sorta:

http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Padparadscha/PA2061/Radiant/stoneid=PA2061

http://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/11881

given how nuanced and subjective color perception can be, especially with padparadscha, combined with the vagaries of internet photography PLUS my lack of any experience with either of these companies that would give me an idea of how faithful or faithless their pictures run....my mind is numb.
here are some of the...dare I call them thoughts?...that Ive had:

I like the NSC stone''s color. were it somewhat more limpid and delicate it would be ideal. I do not like the shape. It seems, however, to be reasonably well cut for them. Them being NSC not radiants in general.

The wild fish stone seems oddly proportioned, possibly windowed, and the color varies in the different pictures, which, unlike experience IRL, were presumably all shot in the same lighting conditions. Really I find the photography on wildfish to be , um...quite fanciful! Lots of shallow focus that expands the apparent dispersion of the stone past the limits of credibility. That said I have seen in here MUCH evidence of Ed''s fantastic reputation and again since I haven''t yet seen any of his stones in person I cannot gauge the artistic license of his photos.
The wild fish stone seems to me likely too weak in color. I am getting the impression that it is a clear stone with just the suggestion of pad coloration that concentrates in the peripheries. Also the proportions are, awkward. Are these stones all native cuts that are intended to be recut?

Some things that are inportant to me are:
sufficient depth and correct angles that there is no window face up.
color
size:1-1.5 carat
UNHEATED no Be no treatments at all except for cutting!


Please forgive me if Ive made too many mistakes in this my first posting. I am not sure how to insert the link properly I tried to copy and paste but that didnt work, plus I am a social klutz and ramble on wordily...

Thanks in advance for your tolerance!

VL

 

[chrono]

For ease of linking.
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Padparadscha/PA2061/Radiant/stoneid=PA2061
http://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/11881

 

[chrono]

The NSC stone while it has nice cutting has too much red to be considered a true padparadscha.
The Wildfish stone doesn’t strike me as a padparscha either because it has insufficient orange for my taste.

No, do not buy native cut stones with the intention of a recut. It is difficult to find the right candidate due to the high risk (zoning might become apparent, might lose saturation, inclusion might grow, etc). Not only that, this material is expensive to begin with so every loss of miniscule carat weight means loss of value in addition to the original higher price that you paid.

 

[LD]

Date: 2/19/2010 3:27:21 PM
Author: Chrono

The NSC stone while it has nice cutting has too much red to be considered a true padparadscha.
The Wildfish stone doesn’t strike me as a padparscha either because it has insufficient orange for my taste.

No, do not buy native cut stones with the intention of a recut. It is difficult to find the right candidate due to the high risk (zoning might become apparent, might lose saturation, inclusion might grow, etc). Not only that, this material is expensive to begin with so every loss of miniscule carat weight means loss of value in addition to the original higher price that you paid.

Ditto to everything Chrono has said.

The NSC one for me is too orange brown and not enough pink.
The Wildfish one is too pink and has a lack of orange.

Having said all of that ............ Pads are notoriously difficult to categorise. What one person will call a Pad another won''t! It''s probably one of the most difficult coloured gemstones to define and one where you''ll see the varying opinions. So, with that in mind you must buy one where the colour speaks to you.

A few more points:-

1. If any treatment (including heating) is a big no no for you, you''re potentially screening out a large number of heated gemstones that may have beauty on their side. Gentle heating (finishing off what nature started) is accepted by many. When you''re looking for the perfect Pad (for you), please bear that in mind because it also might help you find a bigger gem for your money.

2. In terms of cut? Many of the more expensive coloured gemstones are cut for weight. Forget angles, etc., this is only really applicable to diamonds. Yes, you can buy precision cut gems where angles are more important BUT generally speaking some of the best gemstones I''ve ever seen are poorly cut to maximise weight. Unless you get a huge carat weight to start with, please don''t even consider a recut as the results can never be guaranteed and the colour may change with the angles.

 

[T L]

Date: 2/19/2010 3:50:27 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds

Ditto to everything Chrono has said.

The NSC one for me is too orange brown and not enough pink.
The Wildfish one is too pink and has a lack of orange.

Having said all of that ............ Pads are notoriously difficult to categorise. What one person will call a Pad another won't! It's probably one of the most difficult coloured gemstones to define and one where you'll see the varying opinions. So, with that in mind you must buy one where the colour speaks to you.

A few more points:-

1. If any treatment (including heating) is a big no no for you, you're potentially screening out a large number of heated gemstones that may have beauty on their side. Gentle heating (finishing off what nature started) is accepted by many. When you're looking for the perfect Pad (for you), please bear that in mind because it also might help you find a bigger gem for your money.

2. In terms of cut? Many of the more expensive coloured gemstones are cut for weight. Forget angles, etc., this is only really applicable to diamonds. Yes, you can buy precision cut gems where angles are more important BUT generally speaking some of the best gemstones I've ever seen are poorly cut to maximise weight. Unless you get a huge carat weight to start with, please don't even consider a recut as the results can never be guaranteed and the colour may change with the angles.

It's a marketing name. I highly suggest you ignore looking for a "padparadscha" and look instead for an orange-pink sapphire that you find attractive. For you that may be a stone more orange than pink or vice versa, but don't fall into the marketing name trap. That orange brown stone from NSC is overpriced because they decided to assign a marketing name to it. It really shouldn't sell for more than $50/ct for something so overly brown. While some marketing names are more clear cut, like aquamarine (blue beryl) and ruby (red corundum), the trade assigns the term padparadscha to some stones that other members of the trade would not consider padparadscha. It can be quite misleading.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I actually went in person to NSC to pick out my pad, and found that the real life colors weren''t always what the online photos would have led me to believe. So I would definitely go in person if possible (which would allow you to see many at a time), or ask the salesperson to describe the color themselves.

There''s also this pad on GemRite which in my personal opinion is too pink, but as others have said, the definition is rather subjective.

Gemrite Pad

 

[Gailey]

Welcome to Pricescope VapidLapid

Before you start searching for the perfect pad, I think you would find it highly educational to do a search on this forum for "Padparadscha". This is a stone that even experts find difficult to verify. When you do find a stone that you are seriously considering, make sure it comes with a cert from a reputable lab.

If you want to seek opinions on any stone here, make sure you have the vendor set it aside for you. It has been known for stones to get swiped from posters who don''t put them on hold prior to posting about them.

Do you have a budget in mind? Good ones are priced in the stratosphere. I can search through the sites I am familiar with for you to see what is out there, but some sort of price guide would be helpful.

 

[Largosmom]

Wildfish noted that they have more from this mine run...you may wish to see if he has something else that may suit.

 

[Indylady]

I prefer the stone from the NSC to the other one, and I really like the GemRite pad. If you''re looking for something inexpensive (or on the less expensive side) check out Simply Sapphires or Mastercutgems. In the middle, I''d recommend Planetary Gems. If you have a healthy budget, check out Richard Wise, Jeff White, or Pala Gems (though you''ll need a jeweler to be able to price for you). I''m not saying that these vendors are necessarily always less expensive or more, but giving you a rough breakdown to make the process a little easier.

Personally, I would compose a short email which I would send out to some of the cutters/vendors on the sticky at the top of the Colored Stones page; most vendors have more than they have listed online, and some are willing to source a stone even if they might not have one. I would include a description of the color you are looking for (some prefer bright, more saturated pads...others prefer pastel pads; some don''t mind peach tones, and some don''t mind a bit of purple), a size and price range, and acceptable treatments, in this case none.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[ma re]

Sorry for a bit of a thread jack that follows.

Gailey, how''s that orange/pink project of yours coming up (not with a pad, the one when you said you''d like something that would include both, pink and orange stones)? Any progress?

Thread jack over.

 

[icekid]

Vapid- welcome! As the others have noted, the definition of a pad is quite subjective and it seems that NSC has an even more loose definition than others.

I agree that a budget would help us direct you. Fine pads can get quite expensive very quickly. Good luck with your search!

 

[RockHugger]

If we dont have a budget yet...how about this one?
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Padparadscha/PA211/Cushion/stoneid=PA211

*licks screen*

 

[Barrett]

I second Gailey''s post..read..read..read..and look..look..look..I used to have a whole toitally different idea of what a true pad was until Richard Wise helped correct me. I like to look at this crystal at Wildfish when I lose focus...i think this is the quintessentail padparadascha color
http://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/11525

 

[Gailey]

Date: 2/20/2010 6:53:10 AM
Author: ma re
Sorry for a bit of a thread jack that follows.

Gailey, how''s that orange/pink project of yours coming up (not with a pad, the one when you said you''d like something that would include both, pink and orange stones)? Any progress?

Thread jack over.

Not forgotten. Need to find the right side stones or commission them. A chunk of my budget went to Haiti, so I''ve got to save a few more pennies.

 

[Nomsdeplume]

Date: 2/20/2010 8:41:59 AM
Author: RockHugger
If we dont have a budget yet...how about this one?
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Padparadscha/PA211/Cushion/stoneid=PA211

*licks screen*

hmmmmm.... yummy...

 

[T L]

I also didn't want to overspend on an orange-pink sapphire, so I recently purchased an orange-pink spinel. If that stone were a sapphire, it would have been many times more expensive. It's another great option, and they tend to have more sparkle and life to them, and the color is always untreated. Just a thought. My orange-pink spinel is on the right hand side (pear). eye clean, 1.5 carats, AIGS certified, and around $200. Both stones in the photo are spinels. I think Wildfish also has "padparadscha colored" spinels.