Padpa .. what?

In this month's birthstone post about rubies, something was mentioned, only once, in passing, that I would like to re-visit. Of course I had to check this out when I first saw it mentioned while researching rubies since it was bling I had never heard of before. So let me introduce you to a very beautiful chunk of corundum by saying ...

Image via The Natural Sapphire Company



Oh look! Padparadscha!

Rubies, we learned, in any other color besides red are sapphires. Their red comes comes from little trace amounts of chromium. Chromium and ferric iron gives you the padparadscha sapphire. I'm not going to do a full post on the padparadscha, though it really is beautiful, but I'll borrow a picture from The Collector Fine Jewelry to show what is considered the most desired color of padparadscha- a mix of the Sri Lanka lotus and a sunset. Pink and orange- my two favorites! Perfect!

Image via The Collector

If you would like to learn more about the padparadscha, or pad sapphire, click over to The Collector for some good information. If you would like to shop for padparadscha, bring lots and lots of money.

Let's just do some quick window shopping while dreaming that we are reclining on a Sri Lankan beach at sunset while handsome young men adorn us with lotus flowers. But I probably stray from the topic at hand .....

Image via Palagems

Image via Gemrite

Image via Arican Gems

Image via Gem Select

Oh look, a pear! I like pears. Pears are good for you. 

Image via M.S. Rau Antiques

It's true that I fall in love with each month's birthstone, but seriously, this gem may really be my favorite. I know, it's one of the most expensive we've seen , but when it comes to my husband buying me gemstones, price is no object to me. Maybe to him, but not to me  ...

Image by Star Ruby

OK, that's all. I tried and tried to find a pad sapphire butterfly but Swarovski and glass in the padparadscha color were all I could find. I try very hard to make sure the photos I share are of the real stones, not crystals, glass, or even lab-created.



Image via Kranich's

It's just not the same.





So, alas, no padparadscha butterfly today. I'll just go back to dreaming about lounging on a Sri Lankan beach. Pink champagne is padparadscha colored, isn't it?

Wait, I can't leave you with that duck image in your head...



Image via Into Temptation





Ahhh, that's better. See you next time...