9.0 on the Mohs scale.

Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

Extremely rare and sought after, padparadscha is the pinkish orange sapphire. The name is Sinhalese for "lotus blossum".

Padparadscha is always heat treated to produce, intensify or lighten color and/or improve color uniformity and appearance.

More information on gemstone enhancements.

Padparadscha is a member of the Sapphire gemstone family.