Padparadscha Sapphire

This pinkish orange very rare stone is a cousin to the more commonly found blue sapphire. The gemstone is currently only sourced in Sri-Lanka. Although many are located in Madagascar they are heavily treated to resemble the colour of the natural Sri-Lankan stone.

The name "Padparadascha" comes from Sinhalese meaning lotus blossom.

While the most perfect gem quality stone would be fully saturated medium pinkish orange, most laboratories will certify natural Padparadascha stones from lightish pinkish orange to medium orangish pink.

The best examples of this amazing Gem are certified by GIA laboratory 

Padparadascha are part of the corundum family along with rubies and sapphires, this means that they are related as "9" on the MOHS scale of hardness and can be worn as rings with no risk to major abrasion.

HRH Princess Eugenie is the latest celebrity to adorn this precious stone.

Her ring is a cluster ring with a central oval padparadscha sapphire surrounded by round diamonds and two pear shaped diamonds either side.