Is this even possible?? Re: Padparadscha stone

[smurfett_333]

I am a complete newbie to colored stones and to this forum and would love some help/ advise from the community. Prior to now I have been a diamond girl and have 3 rings that I wear daily ( my wedding rings and one on my right hand) but I am now looking into getting some color on my right hand and I also got the ok from my husband to start planning for a ring to commemorate our 10 year wedding anniversary in Sept. My budget is 5K but would love to be under.
So i started searching different jewelry sites and absolutely fell in love with padparadscha sapphires. My father told me when I was a child that I would be an expensive date.......I should have known that the gem I have fallen for would be sooo expensive. I have tried to find another gem that I love just as much to no avail. My question is it realistic to think that I may be able to find a padparadscha sapphire stone for less than 3K? I am interested in as close to 1.5 carats as possible, cushion cut, eye clean without treatments.
This is my dream stone:
http://www.rwwise.com/products/id%7C2004
unfortunately the price is way beyond my entire budget more than 2x over

I love the size and color of this stone:
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Padparadscha/PA2209/Cushion/stoneid=PA2209

however the stone itself looks dull and included to me and I am hesitant to deal with NSC after reading others views on the company.

Any thoughts or advice would be very much appreciated. Is the search still worthy or should I start looking into finding the right colored spinel? Thank you in advance!

 

[chrono]

Welcome to the colourful world of gems. $3K might be a bit of a stretch to find a 1.5 ct unheated padparadscha sapphire of very good colouration. You may have to forgo a cushion cut because just the other requirements are difficult enough without having to add a shape limitation. The RW sapphire is fantastic, one of the few padparadschas that doesn't make me go YUCK at first glance. Most are either too pale, too pink or too brown. I would cross out that NSC stone because it is included to the point of being opaque and probably would not fare well as a ring stone. Let's look around first before going the spinel route.

 

[minousbijoux]

With all those parameters, it is extremely unlikely for you to find a padparadscha close to your price range. Unheated stones go for multiple thousands per carat. Even heated sapphires are difficult to find for your price due to the relative rarity of the color. When you add the shape constraint of a cushion it becomes even harder. If you do want to pursue one, I would increase your budget and give yourself a lot of time, as it will likely take a while to find. A few years ago, I reached out to all the cutters and came back empty-handed, with the exception of one that Gary Braun of Finewater Gems had. He would be a good one to follow up with, as he seems to go to Sri Lanka more often than the others. I love padparadschas and have yet to find a spinel I could live with as a stand-in, but I am pretty particular and there are others who've had good luck doing this. Good luck to you!

 

[corundum_conundrum]

I think you definitely could find it in your budget in several months--but it depends on how much of a purist you are.

There is a controversial kind of "pad," called the "African Pad" that goes for cheaper than its asian cousin. Cutters are much more likely to get a hold of these than the traditional Sri Lankan. Its usually much more red than the RW Wise stone.

Here's a color sample.

http://www.gemrite.com/collections/gems/products/padparadscha-sapphire-80-cts

What do you think?

I don't think you could find a traditional Sri Lankan Pad in that shape at your budget.

 

[smurfett_333]

While the color is beautiful it just doesn't do it for me in the same way. I love the sunset color.
I appreciate all of your responses and had no idea that a cushion cut would be more difficult to find over other cuts.

 

[smurfett_333]

I think you definitely could find it in your budget in several months--but it depends on how much of a purist you are.

There is a controversial kind of "pad," called the "African Pad" that goes for cheaper than its asian cousin. Cutters are much more likely to get a hold of these than the traditional Sri Lankan. Its usually much more red than the RW Wise stone.

Here's a color sample.

http://www.gemrite.com/collections/gems/products/padparadscha-sapphire-80-cts

What do you think?

I don't think you could find a traditional Sri Lankan Pad in that shape at your budget.

Im not a purist in the sense that it has to come from Sri Lanka, or even be labeled a pad....I am just absolutely in love with the color and life of some of the pads I have seen in a way that I have not felt with other stones, and the fact that sapphires are a durable stone that can be worn daily.

 

[VapidLapid]

http://rough2refinedgemstones.com/?page_id=2774

 

[corundum_conundrum]

AHHHHH!

The Jim Rentfrow stone just posted is far nicer than the RW Wise stone, IMO. Please inquire, OP.

 

[chrono]

Lovely but the TBD price is a bit worrying. Best to contact Jim quickly before others do and end up raising the price.

 

[VapidLapid]

It looks a little purple-ish to me, at least in this photo, which could keep the price down. Still, a good option.

 

[corundum_conundrum]

VL, do you think the pastel lavender could be a reflection? I see none of it in pic 2, fwiw, and less in 3. Nonetheless, its a beauty from what I can see.

 

[VapidLapid]

I can't be sure from a photo CC. It could be just a reflection. Just being not from Sri Lanka I think is enough for AGL to deny it the title padparascha. A stone in hand with the right qualities would beat any lab report (assuming it IS unheated) for me. It is a little deep with a correspondingly smaller footprint. I imagine that may only deepen the color a bit.

 

[pregcurious]

I like the color of the RW stone better because I like pads that are peach more than pink. That is just a personal preference. Is it important that the pad be certified as a pad by someone like AGL?

 

[wordie89]

https://www.pricescope.com/files/images/lg-tourmalinepinktrillion1_59ct_spectral_gems.jpg[/img] I like those pad sapphires, too. However I look for alternatives such as the above and actually purchased an orangy pink pear cut spinel from spinel source. Still have to set it but love the color. The malaia (or malaya) garnets also look orangy pink at times....

good luck on the hunt.

 

[smurfett_333]

http://rough2refinedgemstones.com/?page_id=2774

This stone is absolutely beautiful, but like someone else stated I want just a bit more orange or peach in the color......I am terribly picky and want a stone that makes me feel something, my only problem is the budget

 

[LD]

http://rough2refinedgemstones.com/?page_id=2774

I agree with VL and see purple in this stone. It is however a beautifully cut stone but it's not a Padparadscha if it has any purple whatsoever. Also the saturation of this stone (whilst gorgeous and what you'd want in most gemstones), probably puts it out of the Padparadscha definition.

Are you hung up on having to have something that has the "Padparadscha" name due to the colour (forget location for a minute because that's a bit misleading)? If not, you can find sapphires that would have that colouration but without the name would cost you far less

Please see the link below that is the only definition of what a Padparadscha is/isn't.

http://www.lmhc-gemology.org/pdfs/IS4_18012010.pdf

 

[mercoledi]

This may be too pink, but it's from Sri Lanka and unheated: http://www.thegemtrader.com/Dec 08 Sapphire Page.htm
Might be worth and email to Brad anyway to get his assessment of the color.

Did you see the pink tourmaline on the R2R website? It's two stones down from the EC pad and it also an orange-pink mix.

 

[pregcurious]

How about this one? I think it would look nice in rose gold. It's unheated:

http://www.thegemtrader.com/Apr12PadparadschaPage.htm

 

[corundum_conundrum]

I agree, the rough2refined stone is NOT a Pad and has a hideous dearth of peachy tones and a overwhelming surfeit of lavender. No one should but it.

<calmly begins dialing a North Dakota area code...>

 

[mercoledi]

What about this little guy? Could be great in the right setting: http://rough2refinedgemstones.com/?page_id=203

or the 0.91 down on this page: http://www.atggems.com/Photos_Sapphire1.htm

Oooh, and further down: A - 1.40ct Oval Pinkish Orange Sapphire. (Purchased as a Pad) (egaj-11-10) $2,800

 

[wordie89]

Preg and Merc, I saw the orangy pink one on Gem Trader that's pretty but I think op is looking for a square one. I was surprised at inclusions on the r2r pad.... of course it is enlarged.

What about this color? It's a spinel from odyssey gems, one of Tan's stores. The video shows less red.

 

[smurfett_333]

Preg and Merc, I saw the orangy pink one on Gem Trader that's pretty but I think op is looking for a square one. I was surprised at inclusions on the r2r pad.... of course it is enlarged.

What about this color? It's a spinel from odyssey gems, one of Tan's stores. The video shows less red.

You are correct that I really do have my heart set on a cushion or cushion type cut for the stone, particularly because my wedding ring is a 1.5 carat oval diamond and I do not want an oval ring on each hand. I love all of the suggestions that you all have thrown out and while I still have not found the stone that speaks to me you all have given me so many different gem sites that are now bookmarked to start stalking

In response to another poster I am not hung up on having a stone labeled as a pad or even a sapphire I just tend to love the colors of some pads I've seen more than any other stones I have viewed. Pricescope community is awesome!

 

[smurfett_333]

Preg and Merc, I saw the orangy pink one on Gem Trader that's pretty but I think op is looking for a square one. I was surprised at inclusions on the r2r pad.... of course it is enlarged.

What about this color? It's a spinel from odyssey gems, one of Tan's stores. The video shows less red.

Do you have a link to this stone, I tried to find it on odyssey gems without luck. The pic does look to red for me but I would love to look at the video.

 

[vickygigi]

http://rough2refinedgemstones.com/?page_id=2774

LOVE this one!!!

 

[wordie89]

Smurfette, Did you find it? If not, here is the link.

http://stores.ebay.com/OdysseyGem

It is on the first page, left side.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I actually found my perfect padparadscha color in a spinel, so if you aren't too attached to the sapphire aspect, it might be an option?
I also have a small padparadscha sapphire but the color is more delicate.

Anyways, here's the spinel just to give you an idea of what could be out there.

 

[LD]

What about this one? It's 1.27ct unheated sapphire from Sri Lanka cost is $637

 

[smurfett_333]

I actually found my perfect padparadscha color in a spinel, so if you aren't too attached to the sapphire aspect, it might be an option?
I also have a small padparadscha sapphire but the color is more delicate.

Anyways, here's the spinel just to give you an idea of what could be out there.

I do love the color of that spinel!!! I am thinking that I may be looking for a spinel in the end due to my bugdet, thank you for posting that it is a beautiful color!

 

[smurfett_333]

What about this one? It's 1.27ct unheated sapphire from Sri Lanka cost is $637

Thank you for the idea LD but way to pale for my preferences

 

[pregcurious]

How about this one? I think it would look nice in rose gold. It's unheated:

http://www.thegemtrader.com/Apr12PadparadschaPage.htm

Here's the pic: