Padparadscha Sapphire: Color Chart, Price Per Carat, and How to Spot a Real One
Where the color starts and stops, who gets to name it, and what 303 stones were asked per carat.
Pink and orange at once, light to medium in tone: that is a padparadscha sapphire. The word is Sinhalese, the language of Sri Lanka, for lotus color. It is usually the costliest fancy sapphire per carat, and the hardest to name: two reference definitions disagree on how vivid it should be.
- What it is
- A sapphire (corundum) that mixes pink and orange
- Hardness
- 9 on the Mohs scale
- Color
- Pinkish orange to orange-pink, light to medium tone
- Cause of color
- Traces of iron and chromium, sometimes color centers
- The name
- Sinhalese for lotus color
- Asked per carat, 1 to 2 ct
- $416 to $9,344 (303 listings, 3 sellers, October 2026)
What color is a padparadscha sapphire?
Think salmon, a sunset, ripe guava. Pinkish orange to orange-pink: on the hue, everybody agrees. Ask how strong that color should be and the trade splits in two.
Two definitions
Vivid or pastel?
Both describe the same pink and orange stone. They do not land on the same strength of color.
Strength of color (saturation)
Low to medium
The wording gem laboratories share for their reports
A subtle mix, pastel tones, judged in standard daylight.
Covers: Low, Medium
Vivid
A reference definition of the trade
Intensely saturated, a strong pinkish orange.
Covers: High
The two brackets never overlap: a stone that fits one wording does not fit the other on this point.
Drawing. Neither text gives a number, so this line has three steps and no measure. No stone is placed on it.
Pastel has a catch: a warm color at low saturation tends to look brownish, and brown costs a stone the name.
The word used to stretch from yellowish orange to orangy red. Narrower now, yet you will still be offered sapphires with the slightest pink or orange color as padparadscha. Here are ours.
Choose a swatch to see the real stone and the name we list it under
Pink sapphire
Sapphire
Listed as pink sapphire. Color label: pink. 1.06 ct, cushion cut
Joalys catalogue photo
Padparadscha
Sapphire
Listed as padparadscha. Color label: orangish pink. 1.35 ct, cushion cut
Joalys catalogue photo
Pink sapphire
Sapphire
Listed as pink sapphire. Color label: orangish pink. 1.11 ct, round cut
Joalys catalogue photo
Padparadscha
Sapphire
Listed as padparadscha. Color label: orangish pink. 1.66 ct, cushion cut
Joalys catalogue photo
Padparadscha
Sapphire
Listed as padparadscha. Color label: orangish pink. 1.56 ct, oval cut
Joalys catalogue photo
Padparadscha
Sapphire
Listed as padparadscha. Color label: pinkish orange. 1.06 ct, pear cut
Joalys catalogue photo
Orange sapphire
Sapphire
Listed as orange sapphire. Color label: yellowish orange. 2.02 ct, oval cut
Joalys catalogue photo
Seven sapphires from our stock on 9 October 2026, ordered by the hue measured on each catalogue photo, from pink to orange. Each swatch is that measured color, not a color chosen by hand. The names are those of our catalogue: no stone here has a laboratory report yet. Lighting changes from one photo to the next, and the stones are not shown to scale.
Where padparadscha ends and pink sapphire begins is a judgment call. Mine. There are color nuances that even a professional has to watch closely.
Padparadscha is one of the hardest stones to call. When one is borderline, it gets difficult: a stone that is all pink with a touch of gold in it, under diffuse light from every direction. What is it? A padparadscha?
Who decides a sapphire is a padparadscha?
A laboratory. Not the seller, and not me. Under the definition laboratories share, the stone can come from any country and be heated, and the name can still be refused. Here is what costs it, among other grounds.
The rule in five cases
What costs a sapphire the name
Five cases in which a laboratory will not write padparadscha on a report. Our own list, and not the whole of the rule.
Only pink, or only orange
With only one of the two, the color is outside the range. Lose the orange and it is a pink sapphire.
A brown or other third tint
A third tint in the color, brown included, and a laboratory will not write the name.
Patches you can see from above
Patches you can see from above without a loupe cost the stone its name.
Color that was added
Color diffused in from outside or made by irradiation never gets the name. Plain heat is another matter: a heated stone can keep it.
Color that changes when tested
That test is not optional. A stone that turns pink in it is written up as pink sapphire.
Our own simplified reading of how laboratories describe this variety. It lists cases, it does not judge a stone.
So a padparadscha without a report is an opinion. Ours included: five loose stones on our page, 1.06 to 1.66 carats, four heated and one unheated, not one with a report yet. Each goes to an independent outside laboratory after purchase, and the report travels with it. Now try your eye.
Blind test
Padparadscha or pink sapphire?
Six sapphires from our stock, no labels. Pick padparadscha or pink sapphire for each one, then see the name it is listed under.
Stone 1 of 6
1.56 ct, oval cut
- 1.56 ct, oval cutPadparadscha or pink sapphire?
Listed as padparadscha. See this stone
1.11 ct, round cutPadparadscha or pink sapphire?Listed as pink sapphire. See this stone
1.13 ct, oval cutPadparadscha or pink sapphire?Listed as pink sapphire. See this stone
1.35 ct, cushion cutPadparadscha or pink sapphire?Listed as padparadscha. See this stone
1.06 ct, pear cutPadparadscha or pink sapphire?Listed as padparadscha. See this stone
1.01 ct, oval cutPadparadscha or pink sapphire?Listed as pink sapphire. See this stone
These names are ours, not a laboratory's. Until a report says so, padparadscha is our opinion.
Real stones from the Joalys stock, Joalys catalogue photos. Names as listed in our catalogue on October 9, 2026. No laboratory report yet: it is made after the purchase. Not to scale.
What is the beryllium trap?
The trap: treated stones sold as simply heated. In 2001, treaters in Thailand found a way to turn inexpensive, light pink corundum from Madagascar into padparadscha-colored sapphires. When it came out, traders refused to buy and fancy sapphire prices collapsed. What hid it: beryllium goes deep.
Inside the stone
How far in does the color go?
One cut stone seen in section, and three ways it can carry its color.
Its own color
The color comes from traces of iron and chromium in the crystal, sometimes from color centers. Nothing was brought in from outside.
Diffusion with titanium or chromium
Diffused in from outside, these elements leave a thin layer of color at or just below the surface. It gathers along the facet edges and the girdle, and light repolishing can remove it.
Diffusion with beryllium
Beryllium goes much deeper, sometimes through the whole stone. The color follows the outline, usually evenly, and repolishing does not remove it.
The deeper it goes, the harder it is to detect.
Illustration. A drawing of the principle, not a photograph and not a stone from our stock. Not to scale.
Detecting beryllium can take advanced testing. You will not see it. Neither will I.
Irradiation is rare, and its orange fades in light within minutes to days. Plain heat is accepted, yet it can push a stone toward an orange many traders would not call padparadscha.
Sri Lanka or Madagascar: does origin matter?
For the name, no. The word first applied to Sri Lankan stones only, and some dealers still call the island the only true source: that origin adds greatly to the value. Others say the source is unimportant if the mix of orange and pink is right, and the laboratories' definition is on their side.
- Sri Lanka. Pinkish orange, free of brown. It is where I buy.
- Tanzania. Sold as African padparadscha, often more brownish.
- Madagascar. A major sapphire source.
What sellers declare:
What we counted
682 listings, by declared origin
Padparadscha listings that printed an origin at three sellers, sold stones included, read from October 7, 2026 to October 9, 2026. Origins declared by the sellers, not verified.
More in our colored gemstone market statistics.
How much does a padparadscha sapphire cost per carat?
We counted. From 7 to 9 October 2026 we read the asking prices of 303 padparadscha sapphires of 1 to 2 carats at three independent sellers, in US dollars.
- Range: $416 to $9,344 per carat.
- Median at each seller: $2,366, $2,767 and $3,055 per carat.
Got a quote? Place it.
Quote check
Check a padparadscha quote
Enter the quote you were given. It is turned into a price per carat and placed among the asking prices we read.
Divide the quote by the weight to get a price per carat, then find its band by weight.
Enter the treatment, the weight and the asked price.
| Asking price per carat | Asked per carat |
|---|---|
| 1 to 1.99 ct, typical ask | $2,366 to $3,055 |
| 1 to 1.99 ct, full span | $416 to $9,344 |
Typical ask is each seller’s middle listing, from the lowest middle to the highest. Full span is the cheapest and the dearest single listing.
Asking prices read on 303 listings at three independent sellers from 7 to 9 October 2026. Asked, not sold, and each seller decides alone what it calls padparadscha. This places a quote, it does not value a stone.
A 1.5-carat stone is typically asked $3,500 to $4,600. Asking prices, not sales, and each seller decides alone what it calls padparadscha. Fine stones rival fine ruby, and above 5 carats a fancy sapphire costs more per carat than a small one. Other colors: sapphire price per carat.
How to judge a padparadscha before you buy
Four checks before you pay.
- The paper. A report from an independent outside laboratory that names the variety and the treatment.
- Daylight. Warm lamps flatter orange and red stones. Ask for several lights.
- Brown and patches. A brownish cast or uneven color face up costs a stone the name. A shallow cut adds a window, a see-through area where the color looks washed out.
- The seller's word, in writing. Copy the questions below.
Seven questions to send before you buy a padparadscha
7 points
A message ready to send to the seller, with all the questions.
See the message
Hello, I am interested in this padparadscha sapphire. Before I decide, could you answer a few questions in writing? 1. Is this sapphire natural or synthetic? 2. Has it been heated? 3. Has its color been diffused in, with beryllium or anything else, or produced by irradiation? 4. Is there a report from an independent outside laboratory for this exact stone, and does it name the variety and the treatment? 5. Who gave it the name padparadscha: you, or a laboratory on a report? 6. Can you send photos or a video of this exact stone in daylight, and not only under a warm lamp? 7. Is the origin you state written on a laboratory report, or is it your own declaration? Thank you for your time.
Quick answers
What is the difference between padparadscha and pink sapphire?
Are there lab-grown padparadscha sapphires?
Is a padparadscha sapphire good for an engagement ring?
Is a pale padparadscha worth anything?
Does a padparadscha's color change over time?
Padparadscha, orange sapphire or imperial topaz: what is the difference?
The bottom line
Padparadscha is a color people argue about, so take nobody's word, mine included. See the stone in daylight, look for brown, ask about beryllium, then let an independent laboratory name it.
