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Tell me about Padparadscha sapphires

bright ice

Ideal_Rock
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I have seen some during my search for pink sapphires and I have to say I think I like them.
 

athenaworth

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I have to tell you - I feel like you and I are kindred spirits. We're both obsessing and new and it's so much fun! Totally off-topic, but I just wanted to know that you make me smile.
 

TravelingGal

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I have one. I love it enough that it's killed pretty much any desire for other colored stones.

However, I would not attempt to ever get another one, personally.
 

bright ice

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athenaworth|1306357852|2930157 said:
I have to tell you - I feel like you and I are kindred spirits. We're both obsessing and new and it's so much fun! Totally off-topic, but I just wanted to know that you make me smile.


You are SO right Athenaworth. I can't STOP :naughty:
 

bright ice

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TravelingGal|1306358033|2930160 said:
I have one. I love it enough that it's killed pretty much any desire for other colored stones.

However, I would not attempt to ever get another one, personally.

Why is that TravelingGal?
 

T L

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Please don't ask about the most difficult and convoluted gemstone there is. After 8 million definitions of padparadscha color and everyone's vendor friend calling anything brown to hot pink a padaparadscha, I am truly sick of them. :knockout:
 

bright ice

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So, are we talking another color issue?

AJS has some pretty unheated ones. Pretty price too :$$):
 

T L

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bright ice|1306358977|2930175 said:
So, are we talking another color issue?

AJS has some pretty unheated ones. Pretty price too :$$):

If you thought Mahenge spinels were hard to buy. . . .you're in for an adventure. :twirl:

Let's put it this way, don't fall for marketing names. Buy a color YOU like and make sure it doesn't shift color to something drastically less in saturation.

However, that being said, some stones labeled "padparadscha" sell for a premium over other pink, orange, pink/orange, peachy, brown, etc. . . sapphires, and look identical. You have to really be careful. Oh, and everyone and their brother's uncle loves to use the term for any sapphire that falls into the brown, peachy, pink, pink/orange, etc. . . to get that higher premium. ;(
 

bright ice

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TL|1306359167|2930181 said:
bright ice|1306358977|2930175 said:
So, are we talking another color issue?

AJS has some pretty unheated ones. Pretty price too :$$):

If you thought Mahenge spinels were hard to buy. . . .you're in for an adventure. :twirl:

Let's put it this way, don't fall for marketing names. Buy a color YOU like and make sure it doesn't shift color to something drastically less in saturation.

However, that being said, some stones labeled "padparadscha" sell for a premium over other pink, orange, pink/orange, peachy, brown, etc. . . sapphires, and look identical. You have to really be careful. Oh, and everyone and their brother's uncle loves to use the term for any sapphire that falls into the brown, peachy, pink, pink/orange, etc. . . to get that higher premium. ;(

I LOVE you TL, you are so straightforward. Thanks
 

Pandora II

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Finewater gems have a lovely one.

Good ones are VERY expensive. A huge number of those on the market are Be diffused.

There are huge fights about what exactly is a true padmaraga colour and whether the stone must come from Sri Lanka. Apparently the perfect colour is that of a Sri Lankan sunset (here's a picture of one of those that I took out there in 2008).

I have pretty strong views on the colour which many will disagree with - many stones described as padmaraga are in fact peach or light pink. For me, a pad should have an equal mix of pink and orange and be well saturated. When you see the real thing there is no doubt about it - but they are scarce.

60870_101418539922883_100001642114668_8108_5890772_n.jpg
 

bright ice

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Would this be anywhere near that color?

Padparadscha Sapphire.jpg
 

Pandora II

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Not bad but I'd want to see it IRL. There might not be quite enough yellow in it.

The best I have seen just glow.
 

TravelingGal

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bright ice|1306358722|2930169 said:
TravelingGal|1306358033|2930160 said:
I have one. I love it enough that it's killed pretty much any desire for other colored stones.

However, I would not attempt to ever get another one, personally.

Why is that TravelingGal?

Because people like TL take the fun out of them.

Kidding TL! :wavey:

I love mine, and DO think it is a pretty color that isn't simply a pink sapphire or orange one. I also think it looks great so many skin tones...it's a very flattering color.

But finding one is a needle in a haystack, and I don't think it's worth a huge premium. By a fluke, I don't think I overpaid for mine at all, but again...it was because of a series of issues that happened in my padparadscha hunt.

I would disagree that a real padparadscha looks "identical" to a peachy brown, pink or orange sapphire. I saw one at a high end jewelers that blew me away. Such an amazing color. Alj was with me and it would be fair to say it was a very rare color in a sapphire.

But for the money that mere mortals can spend? Less frustration finding another stone of high quality, for sure.
 

kenny

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TG, do you have a link to a pic?
I'd love to see it.
 

LD

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Oh no ............... please no. Not another padparadscha thread! :(sad

Save yourself time and stress and don't even bother! The one you linked to is too brown for me to be a Padparadscha BUT the definition isn't clearly defined. It's perhaps easy to say that it should be a mix of orange and pink. However, judging that then becomes incredibly subjective. If you don't see those colours then it's doubtful whether it is one. A number of us have them but if you put them in a line up it would be interesting to see the differences in colours so perhaps it would be easier to start a "show me your Padparadscha" thread!
 

Barrett

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Of course I always post this DP rough sapphire crystal as my opinion of the perfect padparadscha color.
Edward at Wildfishgems crystal

pad crystal best color.jpg
 

MakingTheGrade

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They are both a dream and a nightmare. I do love mine though. :love: :love:
 

TravelingGal

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kenny

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T L

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Pandora|1306359726|2930190 said:
pink. For me, a pad should have an equal mix of pink and orange and be well saturated.


As for the well saturated part, the LMHC disagrees on that.

Also, saturation, like color, is subjective to different people. I don't expect that a newbie's version of saturation is the same as yours. ;))
 

T L

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kenny|1306367084|2930296 said:
TravelingGal|1306366480|2930284 said:

Oh, It's Perfect!
You Lucky Girl!

And you're getting a "padparadscha diamond" - you lucky duck! :bigsmile:
 

T L

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Pandora|1306359726|2930190 said:
Finewater gems have a lovely one.

Good ones are VERY expensive. A huge number of those on the market are Be diffused.

There are huge fights about what exactly is a true padmaraga colour and whether the stone must come from Sri Lanka. Apparently the perfect colour is that of a Sri Lankan sunset (here's a picture of one of those that I took out there in 2008).

I have pretty strong views on the colour which many will disagree with - many stones described as padmaraga are in fact peach or light pink. For me, a pad should have an equal mix of pink and orange and be well saturated. When you see the real thing there is no doubt about it - but they are scarce.

I thought they were supposed to look like a lotus flower, or is this the wrong species, or too pink, or too yellow, or too colorless, or not a good enough mix of pink and orange, and/or yellow, and everything else? :lol:

Sorry Pandora, but after looking at 8 million photos of lotus flowers, padparadscha candidates, and sunsets, I still do not have a clue. I even posted a padaparadsha photo I took at a museum, and the stone was labeled "padparadscha" and PS'ers didn't agree. I give up!!

lotusflower.JPG
 

T L

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bright ice|1306360285|2930200 said:
Would this be anywhere near that color?

BrightIce, don't worry about the sunset, if YOU like the color, and it doesn't turn muddy in other lighting, and it doesn't have too much brown, then ask Rung for more photos.

Yeah, I'm a party pooper, Sorry, but sunsets just aren't qualitative enough for me to determine if I like a stone. ;))

Oh yes, and did you also know that purists think that true padparadschas must come from Sri Lanka, or they're not real padparadschas, so some wouldn't like your Madagascar candidate.
 

bright ice

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I found one on Pala Gems site. So you have to get a jeweler to contact them for you. Can it be any jeweler?

It's from Sri Lanka.
 
T

talamasca

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Pandora II

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bright ice|1306378938|2930489 said:
I found one on Pala Gems site. So you have to get a jeweler to contact them for you. Can it be any jeweler?

It's from Sri Lanka.

They need to have an account with them. I have a friend with one if you want me to check the price for you. What's the code no?
 

Pandora II

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amethystguy|1306365042|2930265 said:
Of course I always post this DP rough sapphire crystal as my opinion of the perfect padparadscha color.
Edward at Wildfishgems crystal

Ditto - this is it for me too.

Oh, and I'm a purist and say origin counts - or at least there should be a premium for origin!
 

bright ice

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Pandora II

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Brace yourself... it's around $24k.

(I was curious so I'd checked their site and rung my friend already guessing it was that one! :wink2: )
 

bright ice

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Pandora|1306408168|2930672 said:
Brace yourself... it's around $24k.(I was curious so I'd checked their site and rung my friend already guessing it was that one! :wink2: )

YOWZA :o
 
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