I can only imagine how long it’s taken to acquire the equipment and the knowledge to do the impressive level of work you’re doing. I’ve done free hand, cutting of various gemstones myself. But nothing quite as intricate. your work is impressive.
Even locating facet grade opal is tricky. But it takes a special touch to actually do the cutting. I like the detailed information you included in his video.
I don’t understand why everyone loves diamonds. Seriously with diamonds it seems that the more it looks like nothing the more expensive it is. Opals are so beautiful, it is easy to see what makes a particular gem beautiful. This is the first time I’ve seen an Ethiopia Opal that is not cracked. It is breathtaking, turn it this or that way shows you something new each time.
Dan Seabreeze I’ve only seen Australian opal cabbed, but there is plenty of Ethiopian opal on eBay that is faceted. He explained in the video that you get more color by faceting.
MoreGems.com I would not facet welo opals if it’s hydrophan it just doesn’t add anything to the great color play of these stones. At least too many small facets makes them very stressful to look at. If you just cut a few edges that is fine but like a diamond cut it kills the nice broad flashes and color patterns on the welo stones. Crystal welo material is another topic though.
MoreGems.com but this is a crystal opal Steve. I like that facets on them too. Of course it’s always on the artist. You got me a bit wrong there. What I was trying to say is with these broad color bands and patterns these small facets split often these patterns and colors to much and don’t add to the natural beauty of the stones. Which is mostly to see on the hydrophane welos. For this crystal welo to me is totally fine as it has not as much color and is see through. :) I would not facet a natural colorful and rich on pattern hydrophane opal but better make a cab. But of course it’s free to everyone what they do. It’s just what I feel with the welos for myself. Anyone can take a look on if the facets suit a hydrophane welo or not. On crystal it’s best you can do for it even. It’s like Facetting an Australian black opal you know what I mean?! The hydrophane colorful not see through material. Not the crystal ones :)
I have always been of the opinion that opals should be smooth and rounded with a dark background. You have changed my mind. The clarity of this stone, looking transparent until the light suddenly flashes color from internal and invisible boundaries, this has changed my opinion on opals in a big way.
Such a great thing that the video is guided with how to opal was cut from start to finish, I've never seen a opal faceted before and this one it's amazing, i really enjoy how the facets multiply the play of colour of the stone, those are truly gems.
I keep watching this video over and over again. I'm in love with this opal. I like faceted crystal opals. Maybe in a couple of year I would buy such a beauty.
Oh wowwwww.... I didn't know opals can have such high clarity, always thought they'd be cloudy and faceting would be useless. I'm so wrong, this opal is gorgeous.
Thank you for getting me into faceted opal Steve. I'm a beginner under 15 stones cut. Over a year ago I drooled over this video. I've faceted my first opal now a Mexi 9mm round. Love it! I will try more soon.
Careful with the Ethiopian crystal as it is rarely stable. This applies to the glass clear material like this one. Material that is slightly milky but still crystal is usually ok.
@@Moregems - I much appreciate the tips and your vids. I have some smaller and lower grade welo to practice with, and some really nice oregon fire opal. I'd love to get some hyalite! I have not done an oval yet but I'd much prefer a design similar to yours. Looks stellar.
WOW!! That is one beautiful gemstone, the play of color and shimmering reds you achieved are really amazing. Thanks for putting so much time into making the video, I really enjoyed watching your process.
Great video. We always teach people to wear eye protection when using saws and grinding machines. Eyes are so special and the damage sometimes cannot be repaired!
wow Steve i never thought it would show that much color in the end , very nice crystal with a very gemmy look because of colors and how clean the body is
Thanks Steve. Remarkable job. That stone turned out great. The faceting really shows off the color. Done that way I actually like an opal. The interesting part though is that new machine. It’s not priced for the hobbiest but it would be interesting to get a tour of it’s features. Thanks again for sharing.
Wow, What a wonderful job and hard work you show here! Very inspiring. Its just so beautifully done! What a joy to be able to see this. Thank you for your video.
Wooow thanks Sir for sharing your knowledge. We are in Tanzania and want to become jewelry artists! With your amazing videos we will archieve! Bless you and your family!
You should watch vintage time he cuts and facets all sorts of gems and goes through the whole process I watched him cut a 1850 ct diamond in to a 358 ct diamond this stuff is interesting
Thank you guys very much for producing this video. I've wondered for years how gem cutting was done, and I've seen a couple of channels with some hokey looking equipment, but this was very interesting, informative, and entertaining. The end result was absolutely stunning! very well done Steve!
Wow!! Beautiful opal remarkablebgreat job! Appreciated how gemsbstone been cut by professional master.Thank you for sharing perfect gems stone cutting.👍💪💙 the opal compare to diamond
This is a gorgeous opal!!! Watching you work makes me really appreciate the stones I have and the work that went into them. I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be to put all that time and money into making this only to have it crack afterwards.
Steve, you are indeed the master and my hero. Thank you for the detailed video! I'll be passing this link along to my faceting buddies here in Las Vegas for sure.
One of my Welo opals was badly crazed and lost colors completely! I was very disappointed. I have many rough opals and wish I had your talent to facet or cut or polish opals! Amazing workmanship! Thank you!!!
The rough stone looked amazing from the start, those opals cut are spectacular and so special, such a beautiful work! You captured the whole of the rainbow 🌈 in the gem!👋😊👍😊💎❤ Hugs from Susanne in Sweden.
Hello Steve, well first I must say, I love how you teach through the video and explain each step and process, your a delight to listen to as you have a sincerely soothing voice and a true gift of cutting! That opal was just gorgeous! Im on an opal hunt now as my mother just passed away and one of my siblings stole her large opal ring that my uncle designed and made in the 70s. My heart was broken to not see that peice in the remainder of what was left of her possessions... but i want to buy one as a reminder of my mom and the fact that life is fragile and not to be taken for granted, just like an opal.. Blessings to you Steve and you have a new sub in me and i look forward to seeing more videos! I hope you show it set! Pamela
Oh you are a master that make this beautiful opal come fully to alive. it has become an stunningly beautiful jewel. I would buy it if I would have the money! thank you for your calm in-depth explanation. I have learned so much from it! thank you from Austria!
Watching your videos are like being in a classroom. You are so knowledgeable. Thank you for making them, I hope someday to become a facet-uer. The lap equipment is so pricey though! Great video Opal is the best
Who says Australia has the best opal. This truly rivals them both, amazing job and finished product. Sure it's worth a fortune, I'm sure your going to remember cutting this amazing opal and happy it was yourself.
I'm just stunned by the beauty of this gem 💎 it's truly a master piece I would give my life savings for that. it's so mesmerizing!!! very nice work indeed 👍
Very nice cut! Its crazy to see my grandfathers machine still up and running after all these years. Funny enough I bought a house last year and it’s right up the road from where his shop was where he made them.
Just found your site and was fixated watching my first gem cutting and fascinated by your incredible talent. And proud that you're a fellow Hoosier! I'll be back for more More!😄
All I can say is that came out amazing, and I'm so jealous… I just started working on gemstones by hand obviously not getting any nice facets like that. You definitely deserve credit for an awesome skill.
Even if I could find such amazing rough, I'd be hard pressed to afford a carat or two :( It turned out way better than I thought it would because I barely saw any color in the rough stone. It is amazing the difference and level of improvement this choice of facets achieved. Nice Stone. WTG Mr. Moriarty
At first I was blasé about this vid, but as he finally started cut I grew more and more interested by the end I was actually looking at his link to purchase one of these things, they end up stunning.
my father was good friends with Joel Arem. he's wrote a few books on lapidary arts, and I think he was one of the 100 (diamonds). it really is an art form. I had some stones from him, and, although he's not with us anymore, he did some amazing work as well.
top quality video! thank you so much for this its truly amazing you posted It up for free I will be standing on the shoulders of giants like yourself for sure
I personally have no faciting unit,but have had moderate to good appearance doing some "freehand" facetted opal jelly with far fewer facets. Also got more colour than the rough suggested. The most valuable jelly opal I have seen was shown by a Opal buyer in Andamooka Aust. The opal was polished into a near perfect Ostrich Egg size and shape, in 1970s claimed value over AU$300,000. Kept in a very secure large security safe. I was trying to buy a small parcel of cuttable Opal but shocked, taken aback, as the smallest pack was near $2,500 for only 100gm of good not top grade Opal , packs went up to $50,000. I had nowhere that funds. I missed buying a large jar of good pieces offered in the street by a miner, for $20 beer money. I hesitated, he went on, and apparently sold it for $5 at the bar. Compared with what I did buy for a bit over $300, was no better and probably only half as much pieces. Have dug Opal and got near 1/2kg of excellent Opal and many kg lower grade to potsh at several Australian sites. Used to fly there on tour groups, taking a spare seat with a friend pilot, as well have driven by 4WD and working trips to sites. Normally allowed access to the diggings by friendly miners, who had good returns and were prepared to allow me to dig a bit while they took a rest day. Allowed to keep almost all I found, but they usually wanted a share if I got larger batch of top grade Opal. No worries as I was pleased to have access. I also noodled over old digging rubble and even motel carpark where opal buyers seem to sweep out small stuff from the floor of their rooms. Also found some nice bits, of good opal, next to the supermarket in Coober Pedy, where someone probably cleaned out the back of their Utility. Am tempted to buy a faceting unit now that I am retired, have not cut anything since 1980s. Have many gems to cut, sapphire, topaz , zircon, aquamarine, amithyst, citrine, smoky to clear quartz, agate, etc from many years of gem prospecting. Of course also lots of cabochon material,.
@@paulm5133 Jelly Opal, refers to very clear transparent Opal, more like clear gelatine, but good Jelly Opal has strong colour flashes like all Gem Opal. Just very transparent material, rather than the typically more opaque white mass, or other non transparent to black Opal. Gem Opal of course stands out by strong colour flashing, else it is near worthless and just junk commonly called Potsh. Realistically only good Jelly Opal works well in faceted form.
@@Moregems Where can I take a class to learn faceting? I'd be happy to come to Indiana and pay you. I'm learning a lot by watching your videos, but I'd like to get hands-on experience from a professional.
I can’t say I’m usually a fan of Ethiopian opal, but wow! Faceting it turned it into a whole new thing! This turned out absolutely spectacular.
I was spellbound
I can only imagine how long it’s taken to acquire the equipment and the knowledge to do the impressive level of work you’re doing. I’ve done free hand, cutting of various gemstones myself. But nothing quite as intricate.
your work is impressive.
To just learn about this and how you handle the whole cut process is expensive knowledge, but you give it to public for free.
Thank you Steve!
Even locating facet grade opal is tricky. But it takes a special touch to actually do the cutting. I like the detailed information you included in his video.
First time I've seen an opal that's not a cabochon. Really, diamonds pale in comparison with opals. Amazing piece, sir! 😊
DOUDOU. DlENG. 34631098973.
Doudou. DlENG. Y4582702E. 0709. 34631098973
I don’t understand why everyone loves diamonds. Seriously with diamonds it seems that the more it looks like nothing the more expensive it is. Opals are so beautiful, it is easy to see what makes a particular gem beautiful. This is the first time I’ve seen an Ethiopia Opal that is not cracked. It is breathtaking, turn it this or that way shows you something new each time.
I totally agree. These stones must have appeared as magical to ancient Man.
@@brenturquhart7090 when u dig a diamond up you will understand
I've always seen cabochon opals never faceted, this faceted opal looks magically beautiful! Great job!
Dan Seabreeze I’ve only seen Australian opal cabbed, but there is plenty of Ethiopian opal on eBay that is faceted. He explained in the video that you get more color by faceting.
Dan Seabreeze Thanks we will be cutting a 300 carat faceted opal soon.
MoreGems.com I would not facet welo opals if it’s hydrophan it just doesn’t add anything to the great color play of these stones. At least too many small facets makes them very stressful to look at. If you just cut a few edges that is fine but like a diamond cut it kills the nice broad flashes and color patterns on the welo stones. Crystal welo material is another topic though.
Weisswurst Frühstück All Art will have it’s critics, fortunately for this artist the vast majority are liking what I have produced.
MoreGems.com but this is a crystal opal Steve. I like that facets on them too. Of course it’s always on the artist. You got me a bit wrong there. What I was trying to say is with these broad color bands and patterns these small facets split often these patterns and colors to much and don’t add to the natural beauty of the stones. Which is mostly to see on the hydrophane welos. For this crystal welo to me is totally fine as it has not as much color and is see through. :) I would not facet a natural colorful and rich on pattern hydrophane opal but better make a cab. But of course it’s free to everyone what they do. It’s just what I feel with the welos for myself. Anyone can take a look on if the facets suit a hydrophane welo or not. On crystal it’s best you can do for it even.
It’s like Facetting an Australian black opal you know what I mean?! The hydrophane colorful not see through material. Not the crystal ones :)
I have always been of the opinion that opals should be smooth and rounded with a dark background. You have changed my mind. The clarity of this stone, looking transparent until the light suddenly flashes color from internal and invisible boundaries, this has changed my opinion on opals in a big way.
Steve, You are a Fantastic Artist. This is one of the most beautiful Opals, and You brought out the best in this fabulous stone. Thanks for sharing.
Holly Noelle Thanks for kind comments.
When it comes to finely detailed work, done by hand; knowing when the job is done has to be one of the most important skills to have.
Shaping these stones is a gift and a skill that I hope is passed on and never dies.
Thank you so much Mr Moriarty for your informative, knowledgeable and candid tutorials. Truly an ispiration Sir
Such a great thing that the video is guided with how to opal was cut from start to finish, I've never seen a opal faceted before and this one it's amazing, i really enjoy how the facets multiply the play of colour of the stone, those are truly gems.
Crystal Opal from Australia
ua-cam.com/video/7Uiy8p8afpw/v-deo.html
Mesmerisingly beautiful stone. Your workmanship and generosity in sharing your learning is outstanding, thankyou for sharing.
I keep watching this video over and over again. I'm in love with this opal. I like faceted crystal opals. Maybe in a couple of year I would buy such a beauty.
Congratulations you've made an astonishing jewel with your patience and expertise!
Oh wowwwww.... I didn't know opals can have such high clarity, always thought they'd be cloudy and faceting would be useless. I'm so wrong, this opal is gorgeous.
Thank you for getting me into faceted opal Steve. I'm a beginner under 15 stones cut. Over a year ago I drooled over this video. I've faceted my first opal now a Mexi 9mm round. Love it! I will try more soon.
Careful with the Ethiopian crystal as it is rarely stable. This applies to the glass clear material like this one. Material that is slightly milky but still crystal is usually ok.
@@Moregems - I much appreciate the tips and your vids. I have some smaller and lower grade welo to practice with, and some really nice oregon fire opal. I'd love to get some hyalite! I have not done an oval yet but I'd much prefer a design similar to yours. Looks stellar.
Finished stone came out much better then i ever thought from the rough i saw, really nice job cutting it,beautiful opal
James Anagnos
Fortunately it came out better than I could have imagined.
@@Moregems it's been a month how's the gem doing? No warranty issue's.
James Anagnos
Still good. It should be good forever.
I award you the most talented gemstone cutter 2021
This guy did a great job speaking, very informational and professional!
The patience, skill and artistry you work with. Are quite amazing!
Wow! Amazing to see the finished product compared to your rough opal! Beautiful
WOW!! That is one beautiful gemstone, the play of color and shimmering reds you achieved are really amazing. Thanks for putting so much time into making the video, I really enjoyed watching your process.
Great video. We always teach people to wear eye protection when using saws and grinding machines. Eyes are so special and the damage sometimes cannot be repaired!
wow Steve i never thought it would show that much color in the end , very nice crystal with a very gemmy look because of colors and how clean the body is
The rough looked pretty amazing itself, the gem you produced is magnificent.
I wasn’t a fan of opals until I met my first faceted Ethiopian Opal. What a difference it makes!
gorgeous!! opals are so much better than diamonds. my favorite gemstone ♥️
ua-cam.com/video/7Uiy8p8afpw/v-deo.html
Thanks Steve. Remarkable job. That stone turned out great. The faceting really shows off the color. Done that way I actually like an opal. The interesting part though is that new machine. It’s not priced for the hobbiest but it would be interesting to get a tour of it’s features. Thanks again for sharing.
Wow, What a wonderful job and hard work you show here! Very inspiring. Its just so beautifully done! What a joy to be able to see this. Thank you for your video.
I am not into cutting stone business but i really enjoyed watching the video. Very enjoyable!
Old disabled house bound dusty rusty rockhound here: That stone is heavenly! Fantastic job!
Thanks Kelly
Wooow thanks Sir for sharing your knowledge. We are in Tanzania and want to become jewelry artists! With your amazing videos we will archieve! Bless you and your family!
I never realized how much work goes into faceting a gemstone! faceted opal is so pretty and not something you see a lot of.
You should watch vintage time he cuts and facets all sorts of gems and goes through the whole process I watched him cut a 1850 ct diamond in to a 358 ct diamond this stuff is interesting
นนนนนนนนฯนนฯนนนฯนนนนนฯนนนฯนฯฯฯนนนนนฯนฯฯนนนนนนนนนนฯนนฯนนฯนนนนนนนนฯนฯนนนฯนฯฯนนนฯฯนนนนนนนนนฯฯฯนนฯนนนนนนนนนนฯนนฯฯฯฯฯฯฯนนน9ึนฯฯฯฯนฯฯฯนนฯฯนฯฯฯฯฯฯฯนนฯฯนฯฯฯฯฯนฯฯฯฯนฯฯนฯ
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@@austinthompson5648 o9oo99lo99999ooo9ool99o99999oo9999o99o99l9
@@austinthompson5648 9
Some great cutting tips. Thanks for the in-depth video.
Thank you guys very much for producing this video. I've wondered for years how gem cutting was done, and I've seen a couple of channels with some hokey looking equipment, but this was very interesting, informative, and entertaining. The end result was absolutely stunning! very well done Steve!
kleetus92 Thanks Kleetus
Wow!! Beautiful opal remarkablebgreat job! Appreciated how gemsbstone been cut by professional master.Thank you for sharing perfect gems stone cutting.👍💪💙 the opal compare to diamond
This is a gorgeous opal!!! Watching you work makes me really appreciate the stones I have and the work that went into them. I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be to put all that time and money into making this only to have it crack afterwards.
Steve, you are indeed the master and my hero. Thank you for the detailed video!
I'll be passing this link along to my faceting buddies here in Las Vegas for sure.
John Crumpley
Thanks John
Thank you so much for taking the time to show us!
Dear god, it’s beautiful thank you so much for making this vid.
Good to see some else doing some faceting of opal. Only jelly particularly, but not exclusively, faceting can look great.
I have never seen this type of opal before and it is absolutely beautiful. Steve you truly brought out the fire in this gem. Just stunning!!
One of my Welo opals was badly crazed and lost colors completely! I was very disappointed. I have many rough opals and wish I had your talent to facet or cut or polish opals! Amazing workmanship! Thank you!!!
Amazing skill. I am in total awe of the skill you demonstrate
This was amazing. I really respect your ability to do such fine work; I mean fine in both senses of the word -- carefully done, elegant.
The rough stone looked amazing from the start, those opals cut are spectacular and so special, such a beautiful work! You captured the whole of the rainbow 🌈 in the gem!👋😊👍😊💎❤ Hugs from Susanne in Sweden.
Gorgeous! First faceted opal I've seen. Understand why now. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! very attractive after faceting! never seen anything like it. its gorgeous!
The tools and machinery plus the the craftmanship do the miracle, a faceted opal, thank you for sharing
Wow that turned out fabulous! Love all the colors, thanks for sharing with us how this is done 😀.
Hello Steve, well first I must say, I love how you teach through the video and explain each step and process, your a delight to listen to as you have a sincerely soothing voice and a true gift of cutting! That opal was just gorgeous! Im on an opal hunt now as my mother just passed away and one of my siblings stole her large opal ring that my uncle designed and made in the 70s. My heart was broken to not see that peice in the remainder of what was left of her possessions... but i want to buy one as a reminder of my mom and the fact that life is fragile and not to be taken for granted, just like an opal.. Blessings to you Steve and you have a new sub in me and i look forward to seeing more videos! I hope you show it set! Pamela
Oh you are a master that make this beautiful opal come fully to alive. it has become an stunningly beautiful jewel. I would buy it if I would have the money! thank you for your calm in-depth explanation. I have learned so much from it! thank you from Austria!
Watching your videos are like being in a classroom. You are so knowledgeable. Thank you for making them, I hope someday to become a facet-uer. The lap equipment is so pricey though! Great video Opal is the best
Who says Australia has the best opal. This truly rivals them both, amazing job and finished product. Sure it's worth a fortune, I'm sure your going to remember cutting this amazing opal and happy it was yourself.
Very beautiful process sir
I'm just stunned by the beauty of this gem 💎 it's truly a master piece I would give my life savings for that. it's so mesmerizing!!! very nice work indeed 👍
Very nice cut! Its crazy to see my grandfathers machine still up and running after all these years. Funny enough I bought a house last year and it’s right up the road from where his shop was where he made them.
Love that machine
Just found your site and was fixated watching my first gem cutting and fascinated by your incredible talent. And proud that you're a fellow Hoosier! I'll be back for more More!😄
Thanks Gryphon
Looks stunning! Thank you for making this video! This is my first time seeing a faceted opal ✨
L
All I can say is that came out amazing, and I'm so jealous… I just started working on gemstones by hand obviously not getting any nice facets like that. You definitely deserve credit for an awesome skill.
Thanks
Thank you for sharing this video with us.
that is an unbelievably beautiful stone
That machine is SUPER PRECISE! LOVE IT!
Even if I could find such amazing rough, I'd be hard pressed to afford a carat or two :(
It turned out way better than I thought it would because I barely saw any color in the rough stone. It is amazing the difference and level of improvement this choice of facets achieved.
Nice Stone. WTG Mr. Moriarty
I like the Australien opals the most..becouse I' ve seen their all kind of colours...one more amazing then the other. Thank you for sharing. 👍💝🙏
Steve, you are without a doubt a true jewelry expert. Fascinating work. Congratulations. Thanks for your explanation. Hug.
Your welcome thanks for watching
I'm gobsmacked. That's amazing work! What a beauty of a gem!
Insane stone and just amazing work. I can't wait to buy a lap in the future!
Nice work you convert the stone to wonderful gem
That stone before cutting in two , was so pretty to be cut .
Nice job cutting. It looked amazing in the end. Good job guiding the next generation on Opal cutting as well. Thank you sir.
You are amazing, the patience you have and talent, if I ever want a stone cut it would be you.❤❤❤❤
Amazing job on both stones .. The color flashes are almost blinding! Wish now I had gone with a crystal Ethiopian instead of a Welo for my ring ..
These are rarely stable.
The first cut opal I’ve ever seen or even heard about.
At first I was blasé about this vid, but as he finally started cut I grew more and more interested by the end I was actually looking at his link to purchase one of these things, they end up stunning.
Steve you did a magic beautiful cut nice polish thanks for sharing.
What a magnificent stone! Spellbinding beauty!
Lost of words! Beautiful!!!
That stone is amazing.
Insanely beautiful gem and a great video showing all that goes into it's making.
i watch your videos regularly Very awesome and informative videos
Thanks
This was awesome. My mind was blown
nice work mate looks amazing
Great video, I learnt a lot. Amazing looking stone.
That was fascinating. What a Beautiful Gem.
this is one of those pieces of subtle beauty
my father was good friends with Joel Arem. he's wrote a few books on lapidary arts, and I think he was one of the 100 (diamonds). it really is an art form. I had some stones from him, and, although he's not with us anymore, he did some amazing work as well.
Joels book The Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones, is in most gemologists bookcase including mine.
What a beutiful piece of opal, congratulation. Lovely.
Hey's enjoyed the video. I hope all are well in your family. I went Hyles-Anderson in the 80's.
great video!
top quality video! thank you so much for this its truly amazing you posted It up for free I will be standing on the shoulders of giants like yourself for sure
Thanks for your comments
Felicitaciones muy bello su trabajo ,como me gustaría poder aprender su bello arte ,que su canal siga adelante ,,saludos desde Chile sur América.
So good to watch for 2nd time thank you for posting, ,beautiful.
Wonderful stone, perfect cutting
Just discovered your channel! 😍 very beautiful work
Thanks Amber
I personally have no faciting unit,but have had moderate to good appearance doing some "freehand" facetted opal jelly with far fewer facets. Also got more colour than the rough suggested.
The most valuable jelly opal I have seen was shown by a Opal buyer in Andamooka Aust. The opal was polished into a near perfect Ostrich Egg size and shape, in 1970s claimed value over AU$300,000. Kept in a very secure large security safe. I was trying to buy a small parcel of cuttable Opal but shocked, taken aback, as the smallest pack was near $2,500 for only 100gm of good not top grade Opal , packs went up to $50,000. I had nowhere that funds. I missed buying a large jar of good pieces offered in the street by a miner, for $20 beer money. I hesitated, he went on, and apparently sold it for $5 at the bar. Compared with what I did buy for a bit over $300, was no better and probably only half as much pieces.
Have dug Opal and got near 1/2kg of excellent Opal and many kg lower grade to potsh at several Australian sites. Used to fly there on tour groups, taking a spare seat with a friend pilot, as well have driven by 4WD and working trips to sites. Normally allowed access to the diggings by friendly miners, who had good returns and were prepared to allow me to dig a bit while they took a rest day. Allowed to keep almost all I found, but they usually wanted a share if I got larger batch of top grade Opal. No worries as I was pleased to have access. I also noodled over old digging rubble and even motel carpark where opal buyers seem to sweep out small stuff from the floor of their rooms. Also found some nice bits, of good opal, next to the supermarket in Coober Pedy, where someone probably cleaned out the back of their Utility.
Am tempted to buy a faceting unit now that I am retired, have not cut anything since 1980s. Have many gems to cut, sapphire, topaz , zircon, aquamarine, amithyst, citrine, smoky to clear quartz, agate, etc from many years of gem prospecting. Of course also lots of cabochon material,.
what is a jelly opal?
@@paulm5133 Jelly Opal, refers to very clear transparent Opal, more like clear gelatine, but good Jelly Opal has strong colour flashes like all Gem Opal. Just very transparent material, rather than the typically more opaque white mass, or other non transparent to black Opal. Gem Opal of course stands out by strong colour flashing, else it is near worthless and just junk commonly called Potsh. Realistically only good Jelly Opal works well in faceted form.
I liked the look of that first yellowish stone. Does "craze" make the stone crack and fall apart? If not, I liked the crackly look.
You are awesome. Thanks for sharing these videos. I love watching you work.
jpdemont
Thanks for watching.
@@Moregems Where can I take a class to learn faceting? I'd be happy to come to Indiana and pay you. I'm learning a lot by watching your videos, but I'd like to get hands-on experience from a professional.
wonderful, I have learned a lot just watching and Listening. thank you so much.
Deborah C Your welcome.
That is a beautiful stone .