Many years ago when I bought this NOID Phalaenopsis I failed to tag it with the date of purchase so I don't know exactly how old it is. Over the years I've kept it alive but it hasn't bloomed since I bought it. Within the last year I started getting serious about orchid culture and I'm a little obsessed with my growing collection. I was excited when a single spike started developing on this plant last October [I still consider it "in recovery"]. The buds began opening a few days ago and I'm in love with their beautiful muted/pastel colors. The petals and sepals sparkle like they've been dusted with gold. Does anyone recognize this Phalaenopsis?

@BigBill, @Ursula, @drdawg, @hawkarica - anyone recognise this one?

I am sorry, Joshua, I have never grown this Phal. variety.

Thanks Ken. I don't recognise it either, but I'm hoping someone else might.

Of course, Joshua, you know that making an ID from a photograph is difficult at best and usually impossible.

Sorry, I don't know it.

It could be Phalaenopsis Irene Dobkin.
It is as close as I can get off the top of my head.

Oops it is Asconopsis Irene Dobkin. Now perhaps Vandopsis Irene Dobkin.

@BigBill I realize how much of a difference lighting makes when trying to capture realistic color and details etc. So when you commented that "making an ID from a photograph is difficult at best and usually impossible" you're absolutely right. Vandopsis Irene Dobkin does look a lot like the image I posted however I took it with only a single light source in a dark room with my dslr, so the colors are a little misrepresented (possibly the wrong white balance?). I'm looking at this orchid now from a distance of 9' and it looks predominantly dusty rose and green - art shade - deep muted colors. I've been taking cell phone pics here and there trying to get one that actually picks up the colors right. They look very different when taken in different light.
This one was taken a few days ago in early morning light. It shows how the petals shimmer, but doesn't realistically show the pattern of color on the petals.

This is a more accurate representation of the petal colors/pattern (my close-ups don't pick up how richly saturated though) but doesn't pick up how they literally shimmer golden.

I appreciate all the time and effort that you put into checking this out for me. Thank you so much.

I didn't say that but I don't think that you understand why an identification is impossible.
When you are dealing with Phalaenopsis hybrids, you are looking at 5, 6 or even eight generations of breeding. Some conventional hybrids may have 8, 10 even 20 different flowers and color forms coming from a single seed pod. And when you want something identified from a few images, good or bad, it is next to impossible. Perhaps ludicrous!!
It is like you sending me your picture right now and asking me what your paternal great, great, great grandfather looked like in 1738. And all I have to go on is photographic archives with 2,500,000 million images of men. Where would I begin? How would I know which relatives are yours? How could I ever discover this person without some reasonable guidelines?
It is the proverbial needle in a haystack!
The only real chance you have in today's orchid world is if it is a mericlone. A hybrid that is grown by a large number of people. Some cross where the flowers are so consistently uniform that somebody will recognize it.
I myself, do not purchase orchids without a tag. And even with a tag there is no guarantee that the tag and the plant go together. NONE! But with my contacts, my research tools, my experience, I stand a better chance then most at figuring out what it is. That chance instead of one in a million becomes one in five hundred thousand.

Look at it this way too. In the history of Phalaenopsis, we find 279 flowers in the records that look a lot like yours. Some so close that there is less than a 3% deviation. But how to we say with certainty which is yours?

I do not think that we can.

@BigBill so sorry about the misquote. It should have been quoted from drdawg. Anyway, thank you for the information and helping me understand this.

Hey Susan, no problem at all!

It was a pleasure to try and help you. In my years of growing and speaking on orchids, it is the question I most often get. "Can you tell me what this is?" It is seemingly the simplest question but yet the hardest one to answer.

Yes, and for that reason - within the last year - I stopped buying orchids with no tag. I didn't know any better 15 years ago! Since you've clarified the generations of breeding hybrids, I have a better perspective . Impossible. Thank you again.

You bet!

Susan, @sejod, Bill is as usual right-on with his explanation of why it is nearly impossible to ID an orchid simply by seeing a photo (or a doz. photos for that matter). Last I saw, and this was many years ago, there are over 125,000 registered varieties. And because of extensive hybridizing by really huge orchid growers (some growers have 1,000,000 orchids on hand at any given time), thousands and thousands of orchids sold by the big box stores are simply given a name by the grower, and those names are never registered.

I've learned a lot today. Thank you @drdawg and @BigBill.