Sapphire Padparadscha

Named after the lotus blossom of Sri Lanka, the orangey-pink Padparadscha sapphire is a favorite of ours and is highly coveted amongst colored gemstone connoisseurs. These striking sapphires are a special member of the corundum family, rare in their optimal color because they are a delicate blend of pink and orange, which rarely occurs in nature.

Historically padparadscha sapphires are found in Sri Lanka, many connoisseurs still insist that only a padparadscha from Sri Lanka is a TRUE padparadscha, however they are found in Madagascar and Mozambique as well.

The large majority of all sapphires are heat treated to enhance color, but because preserving the color is so vital to a padparadscha, it is possible to find more readily available unheated stones.

Sapphire is the birthstone for September and the gem of the 5th and 45th anniversaries.

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Specifications

Origin:
Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Burma and various other localities
Color:
Pinkish Orange to Orangeish Pink with a light tone
Species:
Corundum
Hardness:
9.0 on Mohs Scale
Birthstone Month:
September
Anniversary Year:
5th and 45th
Refractive Index:
1.762 to 1.770
Birefringence:
0.008 to 0.010
Specific Gravity:
4.00 (+0.10/-0.05)