Seeking Pad sapphire,help please

[pinkjewel]

I have fallen in love with some of the Pad sapphires I've seen on here. A month ago I'd never even heard of them.
I've looked on the Natural Sapphire Company site and I've found the perfect one... except it's too expensive
Yikes- $14,000.00
Sooooo, I'm hoping you all can help me find one that looks like this (hopefully unheated) in the 2 carat range. I absolutely LOVE this soft pink with a hint of peach - under $8,000, and closer to $5,000 would be better . Any ideas????

 

[pregcurious]

This is smaller than what you're looking for at 1.39 carats, but it looks absolutely beautiful in these pictures:
http://www.finewatergems.com/sapphire.html

 

[LD]

That's a beautiful Padparadscha sapphire! I'm surprised it's still for sale to be honest (but that may be because it's heated?????). It's small but then finding a genuine Padparadscha, with the gorgous colouration of this gemstone, in a larger size isn't the easiest of tasks.

 

[Arkteia]

I wanted to second this recommendation. It is heated but Gary got it certified. Also, just from my personal experience, Gary has perfect eye for color. So far I have not gotten a good "grasp" of pads, but from being on the PS I know that there are pads and PADS. It I sere looking for one, I'd buy this one on the spot.

 

[minousbijoux]

I bought Gary's pad a few months ago and returned it despite its perfect color. It has an inclusion which from one angle only was very noticeable. I just didn't want to settle.

 

[pinkjewel]

Yes, it is a pretty Pad and thank you Pregcurious for pointing it out, but it is smaller than I would like, heat treated which I was hoping to avoid, SI clarity which obviously bothered minousbijoux,too and the color is slightly more intense than the other stone I showed. So- any other recommendations???
I also did a search on the Natural Sapphire Company and didn't realize that they had so many negative reviews- so where else to look for a Pad? Based on the comments of their photoshopping, I'm even wondering if the stone anything like the photo I posted

 

[athenaworth]

Try AJSgems.com, they seem to have a nice selection of Pads

 

[pinkjewel]

thanks, Athenaworth. Unfortunately except for the 2 stones over 3 carats and over my budget- all the others are quite small.

Planetary Gems has some beauties, but again they don't seem to get good reviews here. Their prices seem too good to be true and I'm wondering if the few PSers that I've run across that have purchased from them have had their stones tested. They are closed for a few weeks and according to old posts it seems they go on frequent buying trips- how can they do this when gems seem to stay on their site for years and many haven't gotten responses to emails they have sent? Doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about them

There must be some place to get pretty, authentic Pads!!!

 

[LD]

Pinkjewel - in all honesty an unheated, untreated, Padparadscha of the size you want and in the price range you have is going to be very very very difficult especially if you're not keen on the colouration of the one that's been linked to as that (in my opinion) is really the Holy Grail of Padparaschas. The price of a proper Padparadscha outstrips many other gemstones and your budget may, unfortunately, limit you and you many need to look at a compromise. If I were you, I'd get in touch with some of our gem vendors (see the sticky at the top of this part of the forum) to see if they can source anything.

Please however bear in mind that the gem you've considered from the NSC is NOT a great Padparadscha. It's too pink and not enough orange (in my opinion) AND it also has hints of lilac which is not desired. Personally, I wouldn't buy from NSC unless the gem came with a reputable lab report stating that the gem could be considered a Padparadscha as I don't often agree with NSC's title of "Padparadscha" for some of their gemstones.

Also, there IS a definition of what a Padparadscha should look like but there is no definite test in that it must have (a) or (b) or (c). It's open to interpretation which is why I would rather have a lab report as an objective opinion - even though this is still not foolproof!

 

[pinkjewel]

Pinkjewel - in all honesty an unheated, untreated, Padparadscha of the size you want and in the price range you have is going to be very very very difficult especially if you're not keen on the colouration of the one that's been linked to as that (in my opinion) is really the Holy Grail of Padparaschas. The price of a proper Padparadscha outstrips many other gemstones and your budget may, unfortunately, limit you and you many need to look at a compromise. If I were you, I'd get in touch with some of our gem vendors (see the sticky at the top of this part of the forum) to see if they can source anything.

Please however bear in mind that the gem you've considered from the NSC is NOT a great Padparadscha. It's too pink and not enough orange (in my opinion) AND it also has hints of lilac which is not desired. Personally, I wouldn't buy from NSC unless the gem came with a reputable lab report stating that the gem could be considered a Padparadscha as I don't often agree with NSC's title of "Padparadscha" for some of their gemstones.

Also, there IS a definition of what a Padparadscha should look like but there is no definite test in that it must have (a) or (b) or (c). It's open to interpretation which is why I would rather have a lab report as an objective opinion - even though this is still not foolproof!

You make some good points LovingDiamonds. Perhaps what I want is not a "true" Pad. I want the softer pink/apricot shade rather than the more intense "sunset" shade. So I guess I need to find a sapphire NOT labeled as a Pad in an apricot/pink coloration so that I don't pay the Pad premium. I don't buy stones just to collect names, but because I like the color. For instance I much prefer the color of a "fancy pink" diamond to a "intense" or "vivid" and I prefer the FLY diamond to the stronger tones,also. I am just more of a pastel color lover.

So, with that in mind- has anyone seen a sapphire in the colors I'm looking for????? The trick will now be finding a vendor who doesn't call it a "Pad"

 

[LD]

Widen your search by looking for pink sapphires (or pale pink sapphires) and then I bet you find something!

 

[NKOTB]

If you're not set on sapphires, there are some other stones that can be a nice pinky-peach, too, like imperial malaya garnets, or some tourmalines. Something like that might scratch your itch in the interim, anyway, and at a WAY lower cost. Just a thought...

 

[bright ice]

I don't know of anything but this is my find of a lifetime that I just happened upon. It is a true certified PAD by AGL as unheated, untreated from Sri Lanka in the exact color you seem to be looking for. A 3.6ct pastel pink with hints of peach. I bought it a few months ago as a heated sapphire but after sending it to the lab for grading I got a nice surprise . I only paid $1300.00 plus 300 for a full prestige report. It's stats compare to the one you are looking at with NSC.

 

[pinkjewel]

I don't know of anything but this is my find of a lifetime that I just happened upon. It is a true certified PAD by AGL as unheated, untreated from Sri Lanka in the exact color you seem to be looking for. A 3.6ct pastel pink with hints of peach. I bought it a few months ago as a heated sapphire but after sending it to the lab for grading I got a nice surprise . I only paid $1300.00 plus 300 for a full prestige report. It's stats compare to the one you are looking at with NSC.

Soooo pretty, and yes it does look like the color. Do you mind telling me where you found it?

 

[pinkjewel]

Widen your search by looking for pink sapphires (or pale pink sapphires) and then I bet you find something!

Yes- I've already been checking pink sapphires,too.

 

[pinkjewel]

If you're not set on sapphires, there are some other stones that can be a nice pinky-peach, too, like imperial malaya garnets, or some tourmalines. Something like that might scratch your itch in the interim, anyway, and at a WAY lower cost. Just a thought...

I am also looking at spinels as I want to keep it a fairly hard stone.

 

[pinkjewel]

I don't know of anything but this is my find of a lifetime that I just happened upon. It is a true certified PAD by AGL as unheated, untreated from Sri Lanka in the exact color you seem to be looking for. A 3.6ct pastel pink with hints of peach. I bought it a few months ago as a heated sapphire but after sending it to the lab for grading I got a nice surprise . I only paid $1300.00 plus 300 for a full prestige report. It's stats compare to the one you are looking at with NSC.

Soooo pretty, and yes it does look like the color. Do you mind telling me where you found it?

Never mind- I see where you found it. What an incredible deal!!!

 

[pregcurious]

There's also a thread I started about setting pads that has several pictures for inspiration. I posted yesterday a peach Umba sapphire that I bought recently on there:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/padparadscha-ring-setting-ideas.162394/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/padparadscha-ring-setting-ideas.162394/[/URL]

 

[pinkjewel]

There's also a thread I started about setting pads that has several pictures for inspiration. I posted yesterday a peach Umba sapphire that I bought recently on there:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/padparadscha-ring-setting-ideas.162394/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/padparadscha-ring-setting-ideas.162394/[/URL]

thank you pregcurious- I've been watching that thread,too. So many pretty rings! Have you decided how you want to set your peach sapphire,yet?

 

[pregcurious]

Not yet--I'm still trying to decide on the metal. I'm very slow with this stuff and usually set a budget and save up for it.

 

[Arkteia]

Hi, I saw an unheated pad at paraibainternational's website today.

http://www.paraibainternational.com/product_info.php?product=3440

Granted, I do not know much about pads, less about prices, but the stone looks nice. They have a small pink princess-cut sapphire on their website, too. Nowhere close to 14 K... I assume their price is fair but it would be interesting to see what "pad connoisseurs" would say about the color.

 

[pinkjewel]

Hi, I saw an unheated pad at paraibainternational's website today.

http://www.paraibainternational.com/product_info.php?product=3440

Granted, I do not know much about pads, less about prices, but the stone looks nice. They have a small pink princess-cut sapphire on their website, too. Nowhere close to 14 K... I assume their price is fair but it would be interesting to see what "pad connoisseurs" would say about the color.

Yes, I saw this yesterday,too. Although I think it is a pretty stone- I doubt it would be considered a Pad as it is "reddish pink" and no orange. I'd be interested in what others say about it also.

I don't remember the pink princess cut sapphire- I'll go back and look. However, I've been somewhat disenchanted with Pariba so far. I've tried to purchase 3 different stones from them on two different occasions only to be told they had already been sold and they "forgot" to take them off their site.

 

[NKOTB]

Don't kmow if you saw this one, or if it's too orange, or what their pics look like vs. IRL, but: http://www.swalagemtraders.com/search-gems/detail.php?pid=2403&cPage=2&sort=&perpage=8&cat=&display1=0&display2=0&display3=0&category=&variety=&key=&match=&indicate=&reserve_type=&pagefrom=newarrivals

 

[pinkjewel]

Don't kmow if you saw this one, or if it's too orange, or what their pics look like vs. IRL, but: http://www.swalagemtraders.com/search-gems/detail.php?pid=2403&cPage=2&sort=&perpage=8&cat=&display1=0&display2=0&display3=0&category=&variety=&key=&match=&indicate=&reserve_type=&pagefrom=newarrivals

thank you NKOTB, not sure I did see that one, but it is too orange for me. I want mainly a soft pink with a hint of apricot

 

[pinkjewel]

OK- I have ordered one and will post pics when it arrives!!
Here is a vendor photo. It is 1.61 carats and 8.16 x 6.02.Unheated and untreated from Sri Lanka. Described as light medium orangey-pink. This pic doesn't show much orange, but it is supposed to have it,too. Only one small inclusion and totally eye clean. Can't wait to see it in person, the vendor says the stone is very pretty and lively in person.

 

[Arkteia]

Looks very nice.