Padparadscha price: what a padparadscha sapphire is worth per carat
Padparadscha is the rare and coveted pink-orange sapphire. Its value rests on achieving a delicate, balanced blend of pink and orange — and on a lab report confirming it.
What drives padparadscha price
Padparadscha is a fancy sapphire showing a subtle blend of pink and orange, named for the lotus flower. The trade is strict: a stone that is too pink, too orange or too brown falls out of the category and is worth far less. A delicate, balanced pastel is the ideal, making colour the overwhelming driver.
Colour & certification
Because the definition is narrow and disputed, a major-lab report calling the stone "padparadscha" materially affects value — buyers pay for that confirmation. Even, unzoned colour is prized.
Origin & treatment
Classic material comes from Sri Lanka (Ceylon); Madagascar and Tanzania also produce it. As with other sapphire, unheated stones with lab reports command large premiums over heated ones, and lattice-diffused "padparadscha-like" stones are a separate low-value category.
Clarity & size
Type II corundum tolerates minor inclusions; eye-clean is preferred. Fine padparadscha above 1–2 ct is genuinely rare, so per-carat prices climb steeply with size.
Padparadscha Sapphire price — frequently asked questions
What makes a sapphire a padparadscha?
A delicate blend of pink and orange in balance. Stones that are too pink, too orange or brownish fall outside the category. Because the definition is strict, a major-lab report matters.
Why is padparadscha so expensive?
The exact pink-orange colour is very rare, the accepted definition is narrow, and fine untreated stones above a carat are scarce — together pushing prices among the highest of fancy sapphires.
Does heat treatment affect padparadscha value?
Yes, strongly. Unheated stones with lab reports command large premiums. Lattice/beryllium-diffused "padparadscha-like" stones are a distinct, much lower-value category.
How much is padparadscha per carat?
Fine stones command very high per-carat prices that rise sharply with size, colour balance and unheated status. Use the calculator to estimate a range.
Indicative trade information from the Gem Index universal pricing engine — not a formal appraisal or laboratory certificate. Wholesale, USD. Species, treatment and origin should be confirmed by an accredited gem laboratory before sale. See our full disclaimer and methodology.