Padparadscha burst onto the scene in 2018 with the engagement of Princess Eugenie. The announcement of her marriage to Jack Brooksbank had most of the world asking,
“What does her ring look like?”
The Royals are known for unique engagement rings. Princess Diana’s (and now Princess Kate’s) ring featured a blue sapphire. Sarah, the Dutchess of York and Eugenie’s mother had a ruby, but Eugenie’s ring turned out to be the most unusual. Pictures of the engaged couple show the Princess proudly wearing a Padparadscha sapphire flower ring.
It is considered one of the rarest gemstones in the world.
Most people were not familiar with the unique color of the gemstone and were surprised to learn it is the rarest and most valuable sapphire. A combination of pinks and oranges, reminiscent of sunsets, lotus flowers and tropical fruits, is the color range of the rare, unique colored stone called Padparadscha.
The name “Padparadscha” is a Sanskrit word used to describe the color of a lotus flower. For Padparadscha sapphires, the lotus blossom comparison represents much more than a color. A lotus blossom grows from underneath a muddy, murky pool; then rises from the water as a beautiful flower, completely pure and unstained. It closes and sinks back under the water at night, emerging again with the dawning of a new day. It’s no wonder then, why the lotus blossom represents enlightenment and rebirth for the ancient Egyptians and Buddhists, as well as purity, prosperity, fertility and eternity for Hindus.
What makes a sapphire a Padparadscha?
Most people generally think of sapphires as blue. Blue sapphires have a chemical composition of aluminum and oxide. Trace elements of iron and titanium are responsible for blue, the more the iron, the bluer it gets. The color of Padparadscha comes from the combination of iron and chromium which is not normally seen in nature. That combination produces one of the most unique and appealing color tones ever.
Padparadscha is an orangey-pink variety of sapphire, originally found in Sri Lanka where the mining dates back at least 2,000 years. The Sri Lankans describe the orangey-pink tone as a lotus flower struck by a sunset of orange light causing a bi-colored body tone. For Sri Lankans the desirable Padparadscha color is a dominant pink tone with a subtle orange mix of color. Today the gemstone is also mined in Madagascar and Tanzania.
Being a sapphire, Padparadscha has a ranking of 9 on the Moh’s hardness scale, just below diamond’s 10 ranking, making it a durable stone and a great choice for an engagement ring or a ring worn daily.
(The Mohs scale of mineral hardness is a qualitative ordinal scale, from 1 to 10, characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material.)
What is the typical color of Padparadscha?
The range of pinkish-orange to orangey-pink hues has created a challenge for the gemstone industry to define the quintessential Padparadscha “color.” However, it is generally agreed that the ideal color should range from light to medium pinkish-orange to orangey-pink. As a result, there’s a diverse assortment of Padparadscha colors from which gem lovers can choose the ratio of pink and orange that appeals to them… if they can find one. Because there are so few true Padparadschas available they are highly coveted by collectors and those looking to own something unique, sophisticated, and outside the box.
The color makes one think of a beautiful pink sunrise or a sunset mixed with fiery shades of orange and pink. No other stone mixes colors in such a striking way.
Custom Padparadscha Rings at Kerns
We are excited to debut not one, but two Padparadscha rings here at Kerns Fine Jewelry!
It took us quite a while to find these gems and decide the best way to showcase them. We are especially excited that our two gemstones represent the full range of color found in Padparadscha.
PHOTO: 18K Rose gold ring featuring one oval Padparadscha weighing 3.78 cts with GIA report, accented with pear shaped, round and marquise shaped diamonds and completed with ruby accents.
The warm color tones of Padparadscha pair beautifully with rose gold. It is no surprise that demand for this elusive and rare stone grows as warm colors continue to trend.
PHOTOS: Platinum and 18K rose gold ring with 3.21 oval Padparadscha weighing 3.21 cts with GIA report, accented with Cadillac cut side diamonds and round brilliant cut diamonds.
The fiery orange color with flashes of pink contrasted with the whiteness of diamonds and platinum creates a stunning look that will take your breath away.
We invite you to make an appointment to stop by and see these amazing rings and our entire colored stone collection.
