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Ruby, Pink Sapphire & Padparadscha Walking the Line Lotus

Gemology
by Richard W. Hughes

An examination of the problem of separating pink sapphire and

padparadscha from ruby.

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness,

starving hysterical naked

Allen Ginsberg, Howl

Ever notice how gemologists and dealers toss the term padparadscha around like some
kinda berrock. If the gem isnt buff enough to make the centerfold of Gem & Gemology, it is
sniffed at as a lesser being unworthy of the name.
And when it comes to the crimson corundums, despite a decades worth of McCarthyism we
Yanks still cannot sort out the difference between a pinko and a true red.
By this point, I know what youre thinking. Do I really want to continue reading? Straight out
of the gate this man is three sheets into a gale-force Beat ramble.
But follow me here, people. The crux of what Im about to discuss is a desire most human I
admit for a simple word to separate something that has stymied the best minds of my
generation. The question is whether or not a variety name should encompass hue position
alone, or segregate gems of the same hue into different groups based on often poorly
understood tone and saturation ranges factors that often have a direct bearing on quality.

Four corundums of the same hue (red), but showing a variation in saturation
and tone. Most gem dealers would classify stones 3 and 4 as rubies, while
stone 1 would be a pink sapphire. Stone 2 walks the line, a ruby to some,
while a mere pink sapphire to others. This clearly illustrates the problems
created by overly narrow variety definitions. Photos: Wimon Manorotkul

Ours is a strictly visual medium. Unfortunately, when it comes to questions like ruby vs.
pink sapphire, or padparadscha vs. lesser branches of the corundum family tree, we behave
as though we are all graduates of the Braille Academy of the Visual Arts. Too often, we feel
for the dots on the lab cert, rather than looking with our own eyes to see if it is beautiful.

Ruby or pink sapphire? A lesson from the past

The sense of sight is indeed the highest bodily privilege, the

purest physical pleasure, which man has derived from his
creator.
Sydney Smith
Today it is the fashion of our land to refer to the pinks as something other than reds. But it
wasnt always that way. In days gone by, pink corundums were termed female rubies, as
opposed to the deeper red male stones. Witness the following:

Rubies, for which Ceylon was renowned at a very early period,

are seldom found at present of any considerable size; and are
not often larger than particles of gravel or grains of barley: The
Indians speak of them as more or less ripe, which means more
or less high-coloured.
A.M. Philalethes, 1817

Which of the colors at left is pink? According to the Methuen Handbook of

Colour, the sample at right is pink, while the left sample is a purplish red.
This illustrates how the line between one color and another is often
extremely subjective.

A search of the gemological literature reveals that the term pink sapphire did not appear
until the beginning of the twentieth century. Prior to this, all corundums of a red color (pink
is merely a light red) were referred to as rubies. Typical was the following:

The Pink-ruby (patmaraga Singh.) is a beautiful stone and

seldom met with. It is by some prized equally with the ruby. It is
of a light ruby colour with a strong dash of pink in it. This is
likewise rarely found without blemish. It sells well when
defectless, both among Europeans and Asiatics.
J.F. Stewart, June 11, 1855
Gems and Gem Searching in Saffragam (from Ferguson, 1888)
Heres another from 1873:

The colour of the ruby varies from the lightest rose-tint to the
deepest carmine. Those too dark or too light are not esteemed.
Harry Emanuel, 1873

Then someone decided that pink was not red. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the
term pink sapphire makes its first appearance:

The tint of the red stones varies considerably in depth; jewellers

term them, when pale, pink sapphires, but, of course, no sharp
distinction can be drawn between them and rubies.
G.F. Herbert Smith, 1913

So what exactly is pink? The Methuen

Handbook of Colour (1989) provides the following definition:

Pink: Same as rose; a general name which may have been

derived from that of the pink family of plants. It is used
somewhat arbitrarily in reference to pale and light reds.
Methuen Handbook of Colour

The color purple

It is a common, but erroneous, belief that Thai/Cambodian
rubies are more purple than those from Mogok. Using the
proper definition of the term purple (i.e., a hue or hues lying
between red and violet), we actually find that Mogok rubies

are more purple than those from the Thai/Cambodian border.

Gem dealers know what they are seeing, but do not describe it
in terms consistent with the use of those same words in other
industries. To the color scientist, purple is merely a hue
position. In order to properly describe the color, saturation
and darkness must also be defined.
The problem with most dealer descriptions of gem colors is
that they try to describe all colors and color differences in
terms of changes in hue position and darkness. In fact, when
judging the color of gems, saturation of hue is of paramount
importance, not tiny nuances in hue position. When a gem
dealer says that a Thai/Cambodian ruby is too purple
compared to those from Mogok, he is confusing the lowsaturation red (grayish red) of the Thai ruby with the higher
saturation (but more purplish) red of the Mogok stone.

Which of the above colors is more purple?

Surprisingly, the answer is neither. Both
have identical hue positions, differing
only in saturation and tone.

Riding the edge

Exactly where does one draw the line? Neither gemologists or traders can agree, which has
led to the ridiculous situation of stones being brought to labs solely to determine if they are
rubies or pink sapphires. Hello? Anyone home?
Where can such madness lead? Allow me to illustrate. A stone was sold to a client. In an
attempt to give a conservative description, the seller tagged it a pink sapphire. The buyer

sent it to a major lab, and was crushed when her fine pink sapphire was labeled a mere
ruby by the rock docs. This is precisely the type of misunderstanding that results when
one relies on the word, as opposed to what is manifest with the eye.
In the case of pink sapphire, our corundum conundrum has resulted from a quirk of
language. In the Queens English, red is dissected into two separate words. To the
layperson, pink is synonymous with rose and refers to pale or light reds, while red
encompasses deeper tones and intensities only. Since ruby is defined as being red,
someone decided that pink must be a sapphire and problems began. However, to the color
scientist, pink is a subvariety of red. Logically, they would fall under the same heading.
A comparison can be made to the Thai language, which features two distinct words for

blue. See fah (

) refers to light blue, while see num ngun (

) covers only the richer

variety. If Thais used the same logic for blue sapphire as we apply for ruby/pink sapphire,
then blue sapphires from Ceylon would have a different name than those from Australia.
Make sense? Not to me, but much of the gem trade apparently thinks so, because this is
exactly how we subdivide red corundum.
We dont have this problem with blue sapphires; light or deep blue, they are still blue
sapphires. So why not label all red corundum ruby, regardless of depth or intensity, just as
was done prior to the 20th century? This would eliminate the above problem.
In 1989, the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) adopted just such
nomenclature. Unfortunately, the powerful American market continues to use the term
pink sapphire, leading producing countries both by the nose and all of us into needless
problems.

In English, both of the colors above would be described as blue. But in the
Thai language, blue is subdivided into two categories. That at left would be

see fah (
), while that at right would be see num ngun (

). In English
we subdivide red in an identical fashion, with deeper shades called "red,"
while lighter shades are called "pink." This has created the problem of where
to draw the line between ruby and pink sapphire.

The princely kiss of padparadscha

Om mani padme hum Hail the jewel in the heart of the lotus
Buddhist mantra

Just what is in a name? Plenty when it comes to the

jewel known as padparadscha. The debate over its use pits those who believe that romantic
terms are vital sales aids against others afraid that buyers will be taken advantage of if the
padparadscha brush is too broad. But before getting into that, lets look at the root word of
our padparadscha.

A marriage made in heaven

The ideal color of a padparadscha has been described by some as the
marriage between a lotus flower and a sunset, each shown above in Sri
Lanka. Photos Wimon Manorotkul (left) & Richard W. Hughes (right).

Today, many narrowly define padparadscha as a Sri Lankan sapphire of delicate pinkish
orange color. But the original use of the term was somewhat different. Padparadscha is
derived from the Sanskrit/Singhalese padma raga (padma = lotus; raga = color), a color akin
to the lotus flower (Nelumbo Nucifera Speciosa). Wojtilla provides the following from a
Sanskrit source under his description of ruby:

Arthasastra [an ancient Sanskrit book] knows the following

names: saugandhika (lotus-coloured), padmaraga (the same)
G.Y. Wojtilla (1973)

Ever look at a lotus? Ive stuffed my snout into

blossoms all the way from Bangkok to Badulla and have come up with only one conclusion
they are far more pink than orange. Indeed, in ancient times padma raga was a subvariety of ruby.
While virtually every writer on the subject makes the lotus comparison, certain others also
add the concept of fire or sunset, almost an aurora (sunrise) red-orange. Here is an early
definition from the Indian subcontinent, dating from about 12001300 AD:

Varieties of Ruby
That which spreads its rays like the sun, is glossy, soft to the
touch (komala?), resembling the fire, like molten gold and not
worn off is pamaraya [padmaraga].
Sarma, 1984
Thakkura Pherus Rayanaparikkha A Medieval Prakit text on
Gemmology
Molten gold? That sounds nothing like a lotus color. Even today in Sri Lanka there is no
agreement. Some use the term to describe stones more pink than orange, while others
compare the color as a lotus flower married to a Sri Lankan sunset. Witness the following
from 1855:

The Topaz (puspa raga, Singhalese) claims notice next. There

are two varieties of it: the ratu puspa raga and kaha puspa
raga. The former is of a bright yellow color, with a reddish
tinge and is the more valued. The latter is pure bright yellow.
The first variety is scarce, and the second is comparatively
plentiful. The topaz and the sapphire seem to be species of the
same stone differing only in color it is not unfrequent to find a
piece of stone partly yellow and partly blue. This stone is not
much sought after by Europeans, but it is prized among the
Singhalese. It is said to sell well at the Presidencies of India and
in Arabia.
J.F. Stewart, Gems and Gem Searching in Saffragam

Moving to a
Ceylon Observer, June 11, 1855 (from Ferguson, 1888)
more recent
reference from Sri Lanka, we have:

A sapphire of orange-red or pink colour, is locally referred to as

padmaraga (padma lotus flower; raga colour). Many
scholars call this variety padmarascha, which is a misnomer.
The term raga means colour, attraction, desire, musical rhythm
and pollen; therefore, the name for the lotus-flower coloured

corundum should be padmaraga, and not padmarascha.

However, lotus flowers are also found in white, but in this
instance the colour referred to is the orange-red or pink lotus
flower, growing in Shri Lanka. " There is also the yellow
sapphire of Shri Lanka, commonly called pushparaga in
Singhalese. The term pushpa means flower; as raga is colour
and also means pollen, hence pushparaga is the colour of
pollen. Although pollen can be brownish yellow or yellow in
colour, the Shri Lankan gem trade from ancient times to the
present, has always referred to pushparaga as a yellow variety
of corundum." " The important words to consider in the latter
example are flower, colour and pollen, in the origin of the name,
pushparaga. However, in both examples of padmaraga and
pushparaga, the term raga refers to the colour. Therefore, the
word padmaraga also confirms that the correct term for the
orange-red or pink sapphire should be accepted as padmaraga
and not padmarascha." " "
D.H. Ariyaratna, 1993

Sri Lankan padparadscha sapphire crystal, 8 by 5 cm; Collection: Paul

Ruppenthal; Photo: Studio Hartmann; From Gem & Crystal Treasures by
Peter Bancroft

Yet still another recent reference from Sri Lanka:

The term pathmaraga is a Singhalese term applied to a very

special colour variety of corundum, so named after the lotus
flower as its colour is sometimes akin to a variety of this
flower. The colour combination produces the rare and
beautiful colour of a sunset red at its best as seen across a
tropical sky. The colour of pathmaraga is apparently a
combination of yellow, pink and red, with mildly conspicuous
flashes of orange.
Gunaratne and Dissanayake, 1995
And if one reads the Western gem literature, we find that padparadscha is sometimes
different again, often being used to describe stones that are more Sunkist than anything
else. Indeed, what some hold out to be the mother of all pads, the 100.18-ct. stone in the
Morgan collection at New Yorks American Museum of Natural History is, to put it politely,
pink-challenged.
I think readers by now are getting the picture this is one poorly understood word, with no
general agreement as to its meaning. Even our word padparadscha adopted from a
German gem text early in the 20th century is a corruption. Which should probably make all
of us feel good, since the whole process of defining this thing has the word bastard
written all over it.

Location, locotion, loco?

One problem with names like
padparadscha is that they are
intrinsically associated with the
localities where they were first found.
When a rhododendron-colored garnet
was first discovered in North Carolina,

G.F. Kunz, who was well aware of the

marketing value of an attractive name,
dubbed it rhodolite.
Upon finding that garnets of similar
color could be found in other locales
(rhodolite-like garnets had been
mined for over two millennia in Sri
Lanka), gemologists attempted to
prove that true rhodolites were
unique and locality-specific, even going
so far as to identify the rhodolite variety
not just by color, but by refractive
index. This led to the ridiculous
situation where garnets of identical
color and composition were labeled
differently. One point too high or low
on the RI meant a gem would not be
awarded the coveted rhodolite title,
but shot at dawn as a lowly almandine
or pyrope spy.
Locality is not a practical way of
defining gem varieties. Even if it were
possible to determine, it becomes
meaningless when a new source is
discovered that produces similar
qualities. Quite frankly, the best
padparadscha this author has ever
seen was unearthed in Vietnam, not Sri
Lanka. And if we need further evidence,
the discovery of Cu-bearing Paraba
tourmalines in Nigeria and
Mozambique should put the question
to rest once and for all.

Kiss the frog

It seems logical that, should the gem trade decide the name padparadscha is worth
keeping, it should define the accepted color range. A gem could then be compared to a set
of color references to see if it merited the princely padparadscha kiss.
The AGTA Lab did just this. They took a variety of stones that dealers suggested met the
criteria of padparadscha and scientifically defined the color range using an imaging
spectrophotometer.

Unfortunately, the results of that attempt almost entirely excluded the stones produced
from Tanzanias Umba Valley, changing the temperature of one dealer holding said goods
from well-beyond the padparadscha to a flame color any gemologist would clearly agree
was pure ruby country.
Most dealers and gemologists feel that the Umba stones do not qualify because of their
overly dark tones and strong brown (garnety) component. But what about the spectacular
aurora red-orange stones from Vietnam and Madagascar, colors which, to this Philistines
eye, wee-wee all over any pad ever out of Lanka? Certainly aint no brown in those babies.
Although I have not personally examined the AGTA data, from what I understand in my
discussions with the relevant authorities, the definition excludes oranges of high saturation
and/or dark tone, mainly because Sri Lanka has traditionally never produced such colors. In
other words, when it comes to getting pad papers, think P as in past and pastel.

Pad vs. Pink

So what exactly is a padparadscha and how does it differ from our pink sapphire? Good
question. We can see that padma raga was originally applied to a lotus-colored ruby, but for
some that might even include a ratu puspa raga (a reddish yellow sapphire). And what of
the padma raga which in ancient times was also said to refer to a pink ruby? Well duh we
call those pink sapphires.
Hope that clears the whole thing up. Now Im getting back to my prayers praying for world
peace, to be sure but most importantly, praying that the Sri Lankans never unearth
anything like the stones from Vietnam or Madagascar.

If we only had a word

Whats in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name

would smell as sweet.
William Shakespeare

In this humble scribes opinion, there exist two

ideas that deserve to be eternally banished. First, the use of the phrase improved stability
with any software upgrade. And second, the idea that a single word will somehow protect
the gem-buying public.
Most gem varieties encompass a broad range, including both highbrow and low. Sapphire
alone takes under her wing everything from powder blues through indigo to dark, inky
stones where hue is all but MIA. We the-gem-buying-traders and they-the-gem-buyingpublic have no problem with such variety descriptions. Why should we?

Four blue sapphires showing a variation in saturation and tone. Unlike with
ruby/pink sapphire, the gem trade places all stones into the same variety, no
matter what the tone/saturation range. Broad variety definitions such as this
actually enhance consumer protection, because they force buyers to use
their eyes, rather than looking for definitions on a gemological report.
Photos: Wimon Manorotkul

Think about it. When was the last time you awoke shaking at night at the thought of
innocents being led down the primrose path of an overly dark blue or worse still a yellow
of poor saturation? We do not have this problem with either blue or yellow sapphires
because the broad nature of the variety definition forces us to do something we dont seem
to like doing use our eyes.
Dear, dear. Were we all promised blindfold judgment when we signed on in this business? I
dont know about you, Martha, but not once did I believe that, after I mixed my blood with
that of my fellow gem cultists, I could retire my eyes.
In this business, some words work, others dont. Words like blue work. Why? Because they
are simple and based on hue position alone, not lightness/saturation. If it is blue, it is
sapphire, and all sleep soundly at night.

Yet other words are the source of endless insomnia. Pink and padparadscha are two for
trouble, largely because people attempt to use them to describe poorly understood color
and quality attributes (lightness/saturation), rather than simply hue position.

Angelic

When I leave home to walk to school, Dad always says to me

Marco, keep your eyelids up and see what you can see.
Okay, I know what youre thinking. Hes finally lost it the silly
buggers now reduced to citing Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss

But stay with me here people

I see just fine. Really. I see the past the dozens of meetings where the best minds of my
generation have dissected definitions like padparadscha and pink sapphire with the
religious fervor of pinhead priests and their prancing angels. All to no avail. And I see the
future all of us starving hysterical naked doing exactly the same. Unless we relearn
that most basic lesson how to use our eyes.
On my shelf I keep a hundred books on truth, my neighbor that times three. Each one
different. How can that be? Because we listened to our fathers. We keep our eyelids up. We
see what we can see.

Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Pala Internationals William Larson for forcing the author to

increase the size of his reptilian worldview.

About the author

Richard W. Hughes is the author of the classic Ruby & Sapphire and over 150 articles on
various aspects of gemology. Many of his writings can be found at www.lotusgemology.com
and www.ruby-sapphire.com. His latest book is Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide (2014).

Afterword
This article was first published in The GemGuide (2002), July/August, Vol. 21, Issue 4, Part 1,
pp. 48.

References
Ariyaratna, D.H. (1993) Gems of Shri Lanka. London, self published, 5th edition, 109 pp.
Crowningshield, R. (1983) Padparadscha: Whats in a name? Gems & Gemology, Vol. 19,
pp. 3036.
Emanuel, H. (1873) Diamonds and Precious Stones. New York, G.P. Putnams Sons, 2nd
edition (1st ed., 1865), 266 pp.
Ferguson, A.M. and Ferguson, J. (1888) All About Gold, Gems and Pearls in Ceylon and
Southern India. Colombo, London, A.M. and J. Ferguson, 2nd edition, 428 pp.
Gunaratne, H.S. and Dissanayake, C.B. (1995) Gems and Gem Deposits of Sri Lanka.
Colombo, National Gem and Jewellery Authority of Sri Lanka, 1st ed., 203 pp.
Kornerup, A. and Wanscher, J.H. (1978) Methuen Handbook of Colour. London, Eyre
Methuen Ltd, 3rd edition, 252 pp.
Philalethes, A.M. (1817) A History of Ceylon from the Earliest Period to the Year MDCCXV.
London. The author is believed to have been the Rev. G. Bissett.
Sarma, S.R. (1984) Thakkura Pherus Rayanaparikkha: A Medieval Prakit text on
Gemmology. Aligarh, India, Viveka Publications, 84 pp.
Smith, G.F.H. (1913) Gem-Stones and their Distinctive Characters. London, Methuen &
Co., 2nd edition (1st ed. 1912), 312 pp.
Wojtilla, G.Y. (1973) Indian precious stones in the ancient East and West. Acta Orientalia
Hungaricae, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 211224.

See Also
Hughes, R.W. (2012) The Ownership of Words: An essay on the meaning of
padparadscha. Journal of the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong, Vol. 34, pp. 50
58.

Lotus Gemology's Padparadscha Sapphire Buying

Guide
By Richard W. Hughes
Introduction/Name. Padparadscha sapphire is a special variety of gem
corundum, featuring a delicate color that is a mixture of pink and
orange a marriage between ruby and yellow sapphire. The question
of just what qualifies for the princely kiss of "padparadscha" is a
matter of hot debate, even among experts.
Today, padparadscha is narrowly defined by Western gemologists as a
Sri Lankan sapphire of delicate pinkish orange color. But the original
use of the term was somewhat different. Padparadscha is derived
from the Sanskrit/Singhalese padmaraga, a color akin to the lotus
flower (Nelumbo Nucifera 'Speciosa'). Most lotus blossoms are far
more pink than orange, and in ancient times, padmaraga was
described as a subvariety of ruby (cf. the Hindu Garuda Purana).
Today, some define the gem's color as a blend of lotus and sunset.
A further complication is with orange sapphires from Tanzania's Umba
Valley. While they are orange, their color tends to be much darker than
the ideal, with brownish overtones. Thus most traders do not feel they
qualify as true padparadschas.
Color. Unlike other rubies and sapphires, the finest color of
padparadscha is not directly a function of color intensity (saturation).
The most valuable padparadschas display a delicate mixture of pink
and orange.
Lighting. Incandescent lights, whose output is tilted towards the red
end of the spectrum, highlight both the pink and orange in
padparadscha.
Clarity. In terms of clarity, padparadscha sapphires tend to be cleaner
than ruby. Buyers should look for stones that are eye-clean, i.e., with
no inclusions visible to the unaided eye. Because of the pastel shades
of most padparadschas, any inclusions will be quite visible. Thus
again, the emphasis is on eye-clean stones. Many padparadschas
display color zoning, with bands of intense orange against a pink
background. This is what provides the mixture.
Cut. In the market, padparadschas are found in a variety of shapes

and cutting styles. Due to the shape Sri Lankan rough, stones are often
cut with overly deep pavilions. Ovals and cushions are the most
common, but rounds are also seen, as are other shapes, such as the
emerald cut. Slight premiums are paid for round stones. Cabochoncut padparadschas are not often seen (this cut is used for star stones,
or those not clean enough to facet). The best cabochons are
reasonably transparent, with nice smooth domes of good symmetry.
Prices. Padparadscha is one of the world's most expensive gems, with
prices similar to those fetched by fine ruby or emerald. But like all gem
materials, low-quality (i.e., non-gem quality) pieces may be available
for a few dollars per carat. Such stones are generally not clean enough
to facet. Prices for padparadschas vary greatly according to size and
quality. At the top end, they may reach as much as US$50,000 per
carat or more.
Stone Sizes. Padparadscha sizes tend to be similar to ruby. Probably
the largest fine stone known is the 100.18-ct. oval in New York's
American Museum of Natural History. But any fine untreated
padparadscha of quality above two carats is a rare stone. Fine
untreated padparadschas above five carats can be considered worldclass pieces.
Phenomena. While star sapphires in other colors are common, star
padparadschas are practically unknown. This is because yellow and
orange sapphires from Sri Lanka generally lack the concentrations of
well-defined silk necessary to produce distinct asterism.
Sources. The original locality for padparadscha is Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
and certain purists believe the term should be restricted only to
stones from Ceylon. However, fine stones have also been found in
Vietnam's Quy Chau district, Tanzania's Tunduru district, and
Madagascar. Stones from these latter three areas are often heattreated and may reach rich "orange-juice" or "papaya" oranges that
are quite beautiful.
Tanzania's Umba Valley also produces orange sapphires and some
dealers argue that these qualify as padparadschas. However, their
color tends to be much darker than the ideal, with brownish
overtones. Thus most traders do not feel they qualify as true
padparadschas.

The above stone is a fine example of a

padparadscha sapphire. Weighing 20.84 ct, it sold
in 2005 for US$374,400. Photo Christie's

Enhancements. Today, many padparadscha sapphires are heattreated to improve their appearance. The resulting stones are
completely stable in color. In lower qualities, heat-treated stones sell
for roughly the same as untreated stones of the same quality.
However, for finer qualities, untreated stones may fetch a premium
that is sometimes 50% or more when compared with treated stones of
similar quality.
A fraudulent treatment sometimes seen is where a pink sapphire is
irradiated to give it a padparadscha color. The resulting color is
unstable and will fade with prolonged exposure to sunlight. Other
treatments, such as oiling and dying are seen on occasion.
Beginning in late 2001, sapphires of padparadscha colors began
appearing from the ovens of Thai burners. It was later found that
these gems owe their color to a form of outside-in bulk (lattice)
diffusion with beryllium. See this link for more on these stones.
As with all precious stones, it is a good practice to have any major

purchases tested by a reputable gem lab, such as Lotus Gemology, to

determine if a gem is enhanced.
Imitations. Synthetic sapphires have been produced by the Verneuil
process since about 1908 and cost just pennies per carat. Colors
include some in the padparadscha range. Synthetic sapphires have
also been produced by the flux, hydrothermal, floating zone and
Czochralski processes, but such stones are rarely encountered.
Doublets consisting of natural sapphire crowns and synthetic sapphire
pavilions are sometimes seen, particularly in mining areas. Synthetics
are also common at the mines, in both rough and cut forms.

Properties of Padparadscha Sapphire

Composition

Al2O3

Hardness
(Mohs)

Specific
Gravity

4.00

Refractive
Index

1.7621.770 (0.008) Uniaxial negative

Crystal System Hexagonal (trigonal)

Colors

Mixture of pink and orange

Pleochroism

Weakly dichroic: two shades of the body color

Phenomena

None

Handling

Generally no special care needed; all ruby and

sapphire jewelry can be cleaned using hot soapy
water, or detergent. Make sure to rinse thoroughly
afterwards as detergents can cause dermatitis and
allergic reactions. Enzyme cleaners should be
avoided for the same reasons. Brushing with an old
tooth brush to remove dirt and grease will also help.
Cleaning agents containing chlorine may have a
detrimental effect on low-carat gold alloys, so are
best avoided. Many padparadscha sapphires owe
their color in part to color centers that can be
damaged by heat, so care should be taken. Should a
stone be accidentally bleached by heating, in many
cases it can be returned to the original color by

exposure to sunlight for several days.

Enhancements

Frequently heated; occasionally irradiation, oiling,

dying, lattice diffusion (with beryllium)

Synthetic
available?

Yes

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