Every color of sapphire possesses its own unique beauty.
Those with an intense color are especially valuable.
Sapphire and ruby are both the same mineral, corundum. Corundum occurs in all the colors of the rainbow - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Red corundum is called "ruby," while blue is referred to as "sapphire." All other corundums are designated by their color name followed by the word "sapphire," and are collectively called "fancy-colored" sapphires. The gemstones as shown in the photograph on the next page. are exceptional yellow, violet, and orange sapphires.
Regardless of what color names are applied, some fancy-colored sapphires can have truly beautiful colors. Though few in number, there are fancy-colored sapphires with eye-opening colors such as strongly reddish orange or bright “lemon” yellow. One can only admire the unique beauty of each of these gemstones, some of which command more than $100,000 for a 10- to 20-carat stone.
Pinkish-orange sapphires may sometimes be called "padparadscha" sapphires, a name derived from Sanskrit words referring to the color of a lotus flower. The main stone in the ring pictured below is a heated sapphire with what can be called a beautiful padparadscha color. Identification reports issued by the laboratory at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) do not specify the classification "padparadscha," because the judgment of this color involves subjective factors such as cultural usage and personal preference. Many of these sapphires are heated to enhance their color.
The color of some Often Heated padparadscha sapphires will fade over time. However, an Often Heated padparadscha sapphire that has faded will return to its original orange color if exposed to sunlight for about an hour.
When choosing fancy-colored sapphires, it is important to look at the stone for yourself and select one you find truly beautiful, concentrating on quality without being influenced by names.
Ring, Gold/Platinum
Padparadscha Sapphire 1 pc
1.04 ct
Heated
Diamond 10 pc
US $8,000
Name of Mineral : Corundum
Mohs Hardness : 9
Refractive Index : 1.762~1.770
Specific Gravity : 4.00
CORUNDUM HUE/TONE CHART
Many people think that ruby and sapphire are different gemstones, but they are actually different colors of the same mineral, corundum. The 100 gemstones shown in this chart are a different mineral from diamond or emerald. From the left are green sapphire, (blue) sapphire, violet sapphire, ruby, orange sapphire, yellow sapphire, and green sapphire, as well as colorless sapphire. When assigning gemstone names to different colors of the same mineral, it is best to use basic hue names. It is difficult to make objective classifications when using names such as padparadscha sapphire. The gemstones are arranged horizontally by hue, and vertically by tone using nine levels from 0 to 8. Because gems of various beauty levels are used, some have a totally different appearance from those adjacent to them. Beauty is judged according to the balance of the mosaic pattern seen in the stone, which is affected by factors such as transparency, saturation of color, evenness of coloration, and quality of cut. The numbers across the top of the chart allow for quick reference to each individual gemstone. The sources of these gemstones include Sri Lanka, Kenya, Thailand, the Mogok and Mong Hsu regions of Myanmar, Tanzania, the state of Montana in the United States, Australia, and Kashmir. As a matter of reference, the distribution of colors mined in Sri Lanka is approximately 60 percent blue, 15 percent red to violet, and 25 percent orange to yellow.