The word padparadscha derives from the Sinhalese term for a lotus blossom. It describes a specific hue range — pinkish-orange to orangey-pink — within natural sapphire. It is one of the most desirable colour designations in the gem trade and one of the most carefully policed.
The colour line
There is no single agreed boundary, but the major laboratories have working ranges. Stones outside the working range are called pink sapphire or orange sapphire on the report; stones inside are called padparadscha.
Stones too pink, too orange, too dark, or too light fall outside. Origin is also relevant — most laboratories will only apply the term to natural sapphires of Sri Lankan origin, though Madagascar and East Africa now produce material in the same hue range.
Why it matters commercially
The single word “padparadscha” can change a stone’s value by a factor of three or more. That is why the laboratories are conservative; that is why we follow their wording exactly.
If the report does not say padparadscha, we do not say padparadscha. The colour may be lotus-toned and beautiful — and we will say so — but the term is a laboratory designation, not a marketing one.