The Padparadscha stone is an absolutely amazing sapphire that has the color of a lotus and reflects the sunset. Owning such a stone means a lot. All minerals brought and mined on the island of Sri Lanka have a mysterious name. Corundum received the name “padparadscha” because of its unusual pink-orange hue, which is not natural for sapphires.
Sapphire padparada
Physical and chemical properties
Padparadscha is an aluminum oxide. It is quite hard and at the same time fragile, since it does not have cleavage. The stone melts at a temperature of 2050 degrees. Most varieties are transparent, but both translucent and opaque representatives are found in nature. They all have a glassy sheen. When viewed under light in different directions, corundum reveals different shades (pleochroism effect). It is predominantly small in size - up to 2 carats; in nature, representatives of 5 carats and above are extremely rare.
| Formula | Al2O3 |
| Color | Pink, red, orange, pleochroism effect |
| Shine | Glass |
| Transparency | Transparent, translucent and non-transparent |
| Hardness | 9 |
| Fragility | Quite fragile |
| Cleavage | Absent |
| Kink | Uneven conchoidal |
| Density | 3,98 – 4,1 |
| Typical impurities | Cr, Ti, Fe and V |
| IMA classes | Oxides |
| Optical relief | High enough |
| Specific gravity | 4 |
| Molecular weight | 101,96 |
| Type | Single axis (-) |
| Selection form | Most often barrel-shaped, prismatic, lamellar and dipyrmidal. Polysynthetic twins may occur. |
Colors and varieties
Padparadscha does not have a clear color, that is, it can be of different colors, combining orange, pink and red tints. The ideal stone in this case is considered to be one in which these three colors are separated and easily visible. But there are only a few such representatives and they are incredibly expensive.
Most corundums are distinguished by a blurred color with the presence of designated colors in varying degrees of saturation. The situation with the search for the ideal is aggravated by the fact that over time the colors in Padparadscha can fade and slightly change shade. Therefore, today corundums of this family include all warm-colored sapphires, the color range of which includes at least pink and orange tones.
Jewelers and gem dealers, in order to bring some clarity, have come up with their own system of dividing padparadscha into pink, orange and even sometimes yellow sapphires, which are practically not found in nature.
How does a mineral get its color? Physics explains this quite simply. Initially the stone is colorless. It is crystalline aluminum oxide. The appearance of beautiful warm colors is made possible thanks to the following factors:
- Various impurities - mostly chromium, as well as titanium, vanadium and iron.
- All kinds of defects in the crystal lattice.
- The energy state of atoms in a crystal.
The value of padparadscha is determined not by saturation and brightness, but by the combination of colors. The more shades of pink, red and orange, the more clearly they are visible and the more complex they shimmer, the more expensive the stone will be.
According to scientists, almost any colorless corundum containing chromium among the impurities can, under the influence of certain conditions (heating and irradiation), turn into beautiful padparadscha. Enterprising traders did not fail to take advantage of this. They learned to artificially transform uncolored or lightly colored corundum into analogues of a curiosity created by nature.
Pre-cut stones are placed in a chromium-containing charge and heated to 1800 degrees - this is the first method. The second - ion implantation - is a more complex method, but gives excellent results. Counterfeits look beautiful, cost less, and therefore sell with a bang, but do not have the unique properties of the original padparadscha.
How to recognize?
Padparadscha sapphire has one unique feature - it is the color that is given to it by nature. Large corundums are found, more than five carats, but mostly minerals are found that are modest in size of one or two carats. But even their cost can surprise the inexperienced layman. Previously, minerals were found whose size shocked the imagination; today such finds are very rare.
True minerals with this name are mined only in Sri Lanka, so they thought for many years, until orange-hued sapphires were mined in Vietnam. Today, minerals of a similar color are also brought from Madagascar, but there is one caveat: the stones are often tinted, for this reason corundums from Madagascar are cheaper.
In nature, the color of a stone is given by the presence of chromium in its composition; if we talk about color, then chromium is also present in rubies, which are also considered a type of corundum.
It may be noted that padparadscha was previously considered a rare variety of ruby. This is understandable, because the shade of the crystal is closer to rubies than to sapphires. But later the opinion of jewelers changed regarding this type of corundum.
Eastern philosophers claim that crystals of this color help to achieve enlightenment; they are as beautiful as a sunset over water and as rare as lotus flowers.
In nature you can find crystals with the effect of asterism. That is, inside the stone there is an inclusion resembling a four-pointed or six-pointed star. Sapphires with this effect are even more expensive, since they can be counted on one hand. Asterism is not characteristic of stones with this name.
Orange sapphire is rare in nature, for this reason it is subjected to processing, the so-called refining procedure, which changes the color and shade of the crystal.
Mineral deposits
Mentions of padparadscha in history date back thousands of years. Therefore, the exact time of its discovery is not known for certain, but this event is geographically attributed to an island in the Indian Ocean called Sri Lanka. It is there and also in Burma that the highest quality minerals of this family are mined today. It is found only in old placers, and not in solid rocks. Vietnam, Tanzania, Thailand and Madagascar also boast deposits of this curiosity.
The magical properties of padparadscha
Padparadscha is a beautiful, mysterious and powerful mineral. It has the following magical properties:
- It is a symbol of love and fidelity. It unites couples in love, helps single people find their other half, strengthens the relationship between spouses and protects against betrayal.
- Has powerful protective energy. Protects from the evil eye and damage, evil intentions and wishes. Drives away envious people and ill-wishers.
- Increases the desire to learn and expand your horizons, promotes easy assimilation and memorization of information.
- Attracts good people, helps to find a common language with them and establish strong friendships.
- Makes the owner kinder, softer, more ambitious.
- Increases attractiveness, including sexual attractiveness.
- Helps reveal secrets, identify lies and restore justice.
- Helps overcome fears and gives confidence in one's abilities.
This is an incomplete list of the positive effects of the stone. He finds his own approach to each specific person, giving him what he lacks most. Perfect stones that do not have any defects have the greatest power.
Jewelers' Tricks
Padparadscha is a sapphire that not only has a beautiful appearance, but also a mysterious name. This attracts buyers, because it is much more pleasant to own a sapphire with this name than to wear orange corundum on your chest or hand.
To attract buyers, jewelers often assign a similar term to stones that have nothing to do with sapphires or even rubies. The trade name is also used as a trick, calling a crystal of a similar shade Padparadscha, which is completely incorrect.
Such tricks attract buyers, and many people, who have no idea what color such a sapphire should have, make a rash purchase.
A jeweler will help you find out the truth and recognize padparadscha, but not every craftsman can do this. The difficulty lies in the fact that experts are still arguing about the shade that crystals should have. The palette of shades is not so wide, so it can be difficult to determine the authenticity of the stone.
However, the cost of jewelry will help you recognize a “lotus flower” (that’s what sapphire of a similar shade is called in the East). Jewelry inlaid with padparadscha cannot be cheap, since the crystal is rare in nature and is prized by jewelers. An exception can be considered those minerals that received a tint after processing. But their price is far from affordable.
Medicinal properties
Padparadscha is unique for its healing properties, such as:
- Strengthening the body's immunity and resistance to viral respiratory infections.
- Alleviation of the condition or complete relief from bronchial diseases, including bronchial asthma. A gold frame enhances these properties.
- Increasing the effectiveness of medications taken.
- General rejuvenation of the body.
- Reducing joint pain.
- Versatile normalization of the cardiovascular system.
- Accelerating wound healing and cleansing the skin from various dermatological ailments.
- Beneficial effects on the central nervous system, increasing stress resistance, returning mental balance and cheerfulness.
- Stabilization of sleep, improving the quality of rest, easy awakening.
- Normalization of blood pressure, reduction of headaches.
- Normalization of the genitourinary system, increasing potency.
As can be seen from the list, the stone has a lot of healing properties. Moreover, not only amulets help, but also infusions. You need to keep the padparadscha in a glass of water for a day, and then take a small amount orally or wipe the affected areas.
Useful properties of the stone
It is simply impossible to talk about the properties of Padparadscha sapphire in a nutshell. The crystal is unique, endowed with warmth, elegance and mystery. It suits almost all zodiac signs, smoothing out or emphasizing the advantages of each. It is not recommended for Capricorns to use it, but for representatives of the sign Leo, Sagittarius and Aquarius, who are famous for their impulsiveness, pink Padparadscha can pacify and bring harmony. And for Cancers, the stone can bring confidence in themselves and their actions.
Women of any zodiac sign, wearing rings, amulets or bracelets with a sun stone, can emphasize their beauty and charm. The Padparadscha amulet promotes making new acquaintances and finding reliable friends.
Sapphire is considered an indicator stone of the state of the female soul. This talisman strengthens a certain power over people and emphasizes leadership qualities. There is a legend that a ring with a sapphire helped to distinguish truth from lies and reveal a person’s true thoughts. There is also a belief that Padparadscha can attract money to a person.
But not everyone can afford this decoration. Since the gem is highly valued, all jewelry costs a lot of money.
Healing and magical properties
The Padparadscha crystal is a unique find for methods that are used in folk medicine. The following features and healing properties of the crystal are distinguished:
- It is believed that the most positive effect of the stone is the treatment of the human cardiovascular system.
- It heals wounds and reduces the pathology of certain diseases.
- Jewelry perfection has a great effect on the human immune system, supporting and improving it.
- A gem that will be cut into gold can warn of the development of viral and respiratory diseases.
- There is also a practice of curing epileptic seizures and severe skin diseases.
- The crystal heals burns and other thermal changes in the human skin well.
- Pink Padparadscha stone is also used in the treatment of diabetes, ear inflammation, and recovery from strokes.
- It is possible to use tinctures using this stone. This medicine helps treat the kidneys and genitourinary system of the body. It is also capable of removing stones from the body.
- If you wear a bracelet or ring with a stone on your left hand, you can prevent asthmatic attacks due to heart disease.
- The water in which the precious crystal was located helps with diseases associated with vision.
Padparadscha sapphire has many magical properties. The main sphere is associated with all love affairs. He is able to turn a person away from fatal mistakes associated with choosing a partner. For married couples, he predicts long-term and warm relationships and brings harmony. Jewelry with a pink-orange stone protects feelings, protects against betrayal, and protects from the evil eye and damage.
The mineral helps to open up during meditation and cleanses energy. In ancient times, this gem was used during sermons and prayers.
Note! Before you start using a crystal for medicinal and magical purposes, you need to make sure that it is suitable for a person. To do this, Padparadscha is placed at the head of the bed at night. If you have a good dream at night, then the stone is suitable, but if it is bad, then it is better to try not to use it for your own purposes.
Talismans and amulets
If we talk about the unique properties of padparadscha in relation to people, we can highlight the following points:
- The stone has the maximum positive effect on men named Svyatoslav, Vladimir, Maxim and Oleg, as well as on women named Irina and Elena, Tamara and Victoria, Valentina and Olga.
- The mineral increases spirituality in people, which is why it is also called the companion of nuns. It is often used for prayers.
- People of creative professions will also benefit from padparadscha, as it helps to reveal talent, strengthen memory, improve imagination and give birth to brilliant ideas.
- The mineral will be useful for people who are interested in yoga. It accumulates energy from the outside, directs it to the meditator and promotes his purification.
- Padparadscha has the ability to smooth out character flaws. For example, doubting people will become more self-confident, adventurers will learn to weigh decisions, hot-tempered people will become calmer. And passive ones are more energetic.
Padparadscha Products
When cutting padparadscha, techniques are used to preserve its natural size as much as possible - diamond, oval and emerald. The cabochon is not used in this case. Natural stones are practically not used for mass consumption, as they have a fabulous price. They can be found in products of world brands - Cartier, Chanel, Omi Privé, framed in pink and white gold or platinum, complemented with diamonds and pearls.
Artificial minerals are used to decorate any jewelry - rings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, earrings and brooches. They also make all kinds of amulets and talismans. Their price is quite affordable and starts at fifty dollars. But when purchasing such a product, it is worth remembering that this is just a beautiful trinket that does not have any valuable properties of real padparadscha.
Products and prices
Natural padparadscha is so rare and expensive that it is used only in exclusive jewelry, amulets and talismans.
Authenticity and minimal (cutting only) impact influence the value of the stone. Additionally, they look at the size, color, transparency, absence of inclusions and defects.
The cost of a carat of a small crystal is 1000 - 2000 dollars, the price of 5 carats reaches $50,000. Pebbles with defects that are not suitable for cutting are valued at hundreds of times cheaper.
Madagascar treated pink sapphires are often found on the market. Their price should be significantly lower than natural colored stones.
Mostly famous companies (Cartier, Chanel) that produce exclusive items work with ideal solar sapphires.
How to spot a fake
Orange tourmalines are sold under the name Padparadscha, counting on the incompetence of the buyer. And also sapphires that match the color, but are actually much cheaper.
In addition, colorless corundums are refined. To do this, they are influenced by:
- high temperatures in the chrome mine. The resulting uneven coloring indicates a fake;
- ion accelerators. Under a magnifying glass you can see that the color has developed to a minimum depth, and besides, traces of firing and cracks from it are noticeable;
- gamma radiation. The desired color appears, but quickly fades and returns to the original color.
In this case, corundums can be synthesized rather than natural.
Products after such manipulations are sold cheaper than natural sapphires, and even more so padparadscha. If the buyer is not informed that the stone has been treated, this is fraud.
In order not to become a victim of deception, you should purchase goods in reputable stores, focus on the price, and it is better to rely on the documentary conclusion of a gemological examination.
How to wear
The stone is set in platinum, white and rose gold. Natural pearls and diamonds are excellent companions for Padparadscha.
You can wear it however you like.
How to care
The stone requires careful handling. You can clean it by immersing it in a soapy solution for a short time and then rinsing thoroughly with running water. Do not use chemical compounds. Wipe with velvet cloth. It is recommended to store padparadscha sapphire in a separate box.
To purchase a real padparadscha stone, you need to be a wealthy person. They don’t regret the investment, since it works for prestige, protects against ill-wishers, promotes health and increases well-being. After all, the cost of such a thing is growing all the time.
How to distinguish an original from a fake
It is almost impossible for an uninitiated person to distinguish original corundum from a fake. However, this will not be difficult for jewelers. When examining artificial stone through a magnifying glass, traces of firing and other influences are easily detected. Ordinary consumers first need to pay attention to the cost. Nature's Padparadscha is never cheap. The minimum level is about $5,000 per carat. Everything that is sold at a lower price is a beautiful fake that does not have the unique healing and magical properties of the original.
How are fakes made?
With a very high price, which is ten or more times higher than the price of sapphires and rubies, it is quite natural that they are trying to counterfeit it. You can get an orange tint from sapphires in various ways, but fortunately it is too difficult. To do this, you need to saturate the corundum with chromium ions.
This is done by heating it to a temperature of 1800 degrees in a hot chrome charge, but this process makes it possible to saturate only a thin layer near the surface with chromium, so the color turns out to be uneven and devoid of pink and orange tints.
Stones that are more similar to natural ones are obtained in ion accelerators, which is, of course, very expensive, but is well worth it considering the cost of the jewelry gem. Finally, there is another way: light sapphires are exposed to hard gamma radiation. Such stones are similar in appearance to padparadscha, but after three days they begin to lose color.
How to care for stone
Padparadscha is not too demanding to care for. The only thing he is afraid of is mechanical influences, since he is quite fragile. The stone is cleaned by treating it with a soapy solution and then thoroughly washing it with running water. It should be wiped with a soft cloth, as abrasive materials can leave scratches on the surface. The mineral should be stored separately from other jewelry in an individual box with a soft finish inside.
Padparadscha and the signs of the zodiac
Padparadscha is a unique mineral that can help many people significantly improve their lives, but not everyone. Here is the effect it has on representatives of different zodiac signs:
- Padparadscha is 100% suitable for Aries. They internally feel its strength and energy and can use it to achieve their own goals, for example, to find the right solution or get out of a difficult situation.
- The mineral helps Taurus find hidden physical and emotional reserves within themselves. With it, they can easily cope even with a difficult task, they will be able to fool envious people and well-wishers in order to always remain on the horse.
- For Gemini, orange-pink corundum will give clarity of mind, increase attentiveness and concentration. They can easily discern all the essential details in a case, so they should take the stone with them to negotiations, business meetings and deals.
- The stone will help Cancers in love affairs, but only if they themselves understand what they want. In order to understand the passions of the heart, they need to wear padparadscha jewelry on their hands.
- Leos need the mineral to balance their mental state. His aura will have a calming effect on them, improve their mood, relieve them of empty worries and depression.
- It’s better for the virgins to not leave Padparadscha. It will serve them not only as protection, but also as a compass in finding the right direction. They will be able to choose the right type of activity that will bring them both pleasure and decent material profit.
- The mineral can also help Libra realize their own potentials. But they shouldn’t put everything on the stone; they need to do something themselves, otherwise even the power of the padparadscha may turn out to be useless.
- Scorpios will find padparadscha useful as protection from ill-wishers. It will help reduce the influence of negativity from envious people, reveal their insidious plans in time and overcome any obstacles while climbing to the pinnacle of success.
- For Sagittarius, the gem will help reveal the best qualities of character, increase mobility and charisma. At the same time, representatives of the fire element will become less impulsive and explosive, which will be very useful to them in life.
- It is highly not recommended for Capricorns to wear padparadscha all the time. Yes, it will bring them a certain amount of luck, but at the same time it will strengthen all the negative character traits of this sign, especially blind stubbornness and resentment.
- Aquarians, before becoming the owner of a stone, need to check their compatibility with it. To do this, you should place the stone next to you at night, and in the morning evaluate its effect on dreams. If you have good dreams, then Aquarians can safely keep the padparadscha to themselves and will feel its support in all areas of their lives. In case of negative dreams, it is better to avoid wearing the stone.
- For Pisces, padparadscha is simply vital. It will help them become more self-confident, get rid of painful doubts, overcome laziness and get ready. At the same time, it will increase their charm and attractiveness, teach them to easily find a common language with people and use their inner energy to achieve goals.
| Zodiac sign | Compatibility (“+++” – ideal, “++” – good, “+” – can be worn, “-” – not recommended) |
| Aries | +++ |
| Taurus | +++ |
| Twins | ++ |
| Cancer | ++ |
| a lion | ++ |
| Virgo | +++ |
| Scales | + |
| Scorpion | ++ |
| Sagittarius | +++ |
| Capricorn | — |
| Aquarius | + |
| Fish | +++ |
Thus, to become the owner of a real padparadscha, you need to have decent capital. But such an investment is justified when you consider how significantly this corundum improves the quality of human life, curing ailments, protecting from enemies and bestowing all kinds of benefits.
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