I have w kinds of breast cancer (stage 4) and this is so soothing to me, watching you cut opals! My cancer has spread, and I find myself without an oncologist due to the abuse of a nurse and another dr at his office. This is what older people in America sometimes go through. So. I will probably die in a year or 2 or even less, because I stood up for myself against the physical abuses at that oncologists office. I will stand up because others are also being abused there. Many are older than me (I’m 58) and afraid to speak up or speak out against that office. So I will speak for them, and no doubt die for it, but everyone dies sooner or later. Please, if you have a loved older person going through this, speak up and demand a different doctor, and for he sake of older people please file lawsuits!
It depends on your bandwidth. The video is played in whatever compression your internet speed will take. But yes you can download and wait for a better resolution
@@blackopaldirect I'm on my phone but using home wifi, it always plays low quality for me, but in the three dot menu the is a "quality" option that allows me to switch to 2160p and enjoy all its glory! :D
@@blackopaldirect Here in NYC our providers throttle us, when I bump it up to the 2160 it streams fine, but yea the default is generally 480 for most youtube video's that I watch. ISP's are cheap :)
Justin, so good getting to “know” you on your channel. Your indomitable spirit, positive attitude, generosity and, of course, skills are inspiring. Well done.
Gotta tell you , I'm not a gemstone man. Then one day many yrs ago I came across your videos and I'm an Opel fan and watch all of your videos. I love to see the reveal , thank you💯👌
This video marks the point where I finally watched all 11 years of archives! Thanks again Justin for sharing your knowledge and life with us. I look forward to keeping up with your new videos. Keep up the great work! ❤️
Justin, I've always loved opals but never realized how much work and skill went into cutting them just right, I've learned so much from your channel over the past year and gained and even deeper appreciation for artisans as yourself and of course those beautiful opals! Thanks for being there for us, you are a character and I love your upbeat personality!
I am so happy. Usually you have to struggle to get the finished stone, this time it was straightforward, and was magnificent at the finish. Thanks for sharing your talent and time. Be happy, safe and stay healthy 😷⚒
Just wanted to pop in and say your videos captivate me and sooth my soul! Never even been into anything even related to what you do, but your passion for this hobby and the love that comes out the other side is nothing short of contagious! Thank you for doing what you do man.
I love watching you work. I have learned so much from watching you and listening to your advice. I am the one that shared his first ever attempt at cutting and polishing opal on your Facebook page. My first piece was a piece of Coober Pedy white opal. Started at 45 carats and now sits at just over 17 carats. The best news? I already have it sold for over 4 times what I paid for the rough stone. I am still staying with the cheaper opal right now. Don't want to get overly confident and mess up a really nice piece, but I hope to buy some higher quality rough once my skill level gets a little higher. You have definitely turned me into a opal-holic and I couldn't be happier about it.
I live all the way in Norway, and let me just say this, i first started watchin YT Snippets of opal hunters, and ever since that first snippet i watched ive been addicted, i love the way they find the opal and how good looking the gem is, and now i have found your channel and watched a few vids here and there, and OH MY. i really want to mine opal once in my life! looks fun... but also dangerous ofc. but i love the vids, keep em coming!!
A very very pretty gem Justin. You didnt seem your happy cheery self today, I waited for the song, joke or dance from you, maybe next time. A pretty gem, different from the normal black opal, just as nice, but nothing beats black opal. Thank you for sharing this video Black Opal Direct, or for this week White Opal Direct, lol and as always looking forward to next weeks video. Until then.....
I've been too chicken to grind my opals, over the years. Your educating us is giving me the desire to give it a try. I've cut many, many different types of stones, but never opal. Soon...
Love your videos. I cut a lot of Mexican Opal and Mexican FireAgate. You commented a steady hand is important. I agree, but i have a tremor mostly in my right hand, that has not prevented me from cutting a lot of great stones. I make jewelry with the tremor also. Just make another adjustment.
I'd keep the white bolder in one side and the crown opal on the other. One would be so lucky to have that beauty. It's like night shinning with all the different colors of the sky in one stone. I'm mesmerized. I'm day 20 recovering from covid n this is keepp ing me going I just love to watch
I've seen some beautiful black opals on your channel but seeing this white one confirmed to me that I prefer the whites. They just look softer in colour to me.
I love espresso as well Justin and I have a commercial espresso machine plumbed into my coffee bar I had built in my kitchen. Love your channel and the beautiful Opals you cut.
Hey Justin this is Mike over in the USA. It’s always nice to see you sir and this is a marvelous looking opal book! I was just looking at your catalog and that’s just wonderful to see so many beautiful opals sir. You take care and bless you and your family. Stay well! Looking old book it looks like instead of
Yay! I was just rewatching one of your live uploads! I love you guys, and your channel is FANTASTIC! I hope this is a "did I make a good investment?" video. Those are my FAVORITES!
@@blackopaldirect this was AWESOME! I love ALL of your videos, but these kinds, where it's a rather large piece, or one that could go either way...these just keep me on the edge of my seat. I LOVE seeing you bring out the beauty hiding in what looks like ordinary rocks! You're a legend! - -Tracey, Washington State, USA.
love this channel, between the wheel asmr and seeing a rough stone turn into a gem I'm hooked. I live in Oregon, United states, I have seen opalized fossils and a few opals but was unsure if anything of this level could be found in Oregon. Cheers!
Oh Justin that looks good enough to eat! I realize black opal is the most sought after, but I can appreciate beauty whenever I see it. Thank you for sharing this with us.
It's a shame there's no delivery service to Heaven. I'd so love to be able to gift my mother one of your beautiful opals. Guess God has all that covered though!
Gorgeous ! When I was in Brasil, we were invited to Amsterdam Sauer to buy stones. One of the owners, had the most beautiful Hunk .. of Seam Opal in a a wall showcase lined with black velvet and back lit . It was behind him and Glowed Bright . It looked a lot like yours, but 5 inches thick!!! I wanted it , but didn’t even bother to ask the price. He saw me drooling and had someone bring me a smaller tiny piece of the same type opal, still in the matrix. It was the best and most memorable thing that I got in Brasil..
I love watching the beautiful gems that appear out of the rough stone as you’re working them I do lapidary with a small club We have a good amount of wheels and a slab saw - it’s very relaxing I quite enjoy working with Tiger Eye
That was a lovely opal Justin, with the white colour of the stone, it looks like you could of cut deeper to the colour bar. I guess you could see how deep you needed to go. Thank you for sharing
I stopped the video at 0:40 and thought... uh oh... there’s a very thin potch line in the middle of that thick color bar! 😬 I’m now going to continue the video to find out...🤞🏼 Finished watching. Whew! 😰😁👍🏻
MORE!!! Just need more vids to watch from BOD. The times between uploads are sooo longggg and almost unbearable(They aren't really, I just cant get enough). Love your work Justin!! but seriously I need more magic to watch ;)
Stunning camera work Mel. You really are getting good at your video craft. 👍🏽👍🏽 Hey Justin goes alright too. 😉 Nice opal, enjoyed that reveal... was on the edge of my seat.
@@blackopaldirect I am both sad & happy to hear this news. I’ve missed the last couple of vids. Wishing you all the best Mel & have loved our little connection on this channel. You’ll be amazing at whatever you put your mind into what your heart wants. Bout to have a change ourselves & are buying a propagation nursery so we are moving into a beautiful homestead. Only 20 minutes away. Here’s to positive changes 🍻
I’m a tool and die polisher in the beverage and tool can press manufacturing industry. I polish the punches that go into the presses that make the can lids, the tabs that open them, and the rivet that holds the tab down, polishing tool steel and carbide. With that all in mind, would I have an issue in getting into shaping and polishing gems and stones like this as a hobby/side gig?
I just got two massive rough opal chunks today, a 200some odd carot and a 400 some odd one. Lots of pure white that the flash light shines through, but what little bars i can see are perfectly clear, im hesitant to start working lol. These are my first large chunks to work with. Ive done a few tiny ones before.
I know this is late, but its interesting to hear different methods of opal cutting. I was instructed to go 600-1200- 140000, then to a slurry(similar to cerium oxide) on felt wheel, then to 50k 100k then a final low speed buff with a tiny amount of ZAM. I want to say the slurry mix is from Paul Downing but since I dont have it, I just use CO. I think I am going to try your method to see if it saves time with similar results.
Haha it seems that you are going backwards on a few grits. Anything over 50k will not do much at all and will frustrate you. 1200grit nova to cerium will be absolutely fine
Came out much nicer than I expected. Well done Justin.
I have w kinds of breast cancer (stage 4) and this is so soothing to me, watching you cut opals! My cancer has spread, and I find myself without an oncologist due to the abuse of a nurse and another dr at his office. This is what older people in America sometimes go through. So. I will probably die in a year or 2 or even less, because I stood up for myself against the physical abuses at that oncologists office. I will stand up because others are also being abused there. Many are older than me (I’m 58) and afraid to speak up or speak out against that office. So I will speak for them, and no doubt die for it, but everyone dies sooner or later. Please, if you have a loved older person going through this, speak up and demand a different doctor, and for he sake of older people please file lawsuits!
Just a quick reminder to everyone, change your quality settings...justin films this in 2160p but youtube default plays it in 240p
It depends on your bandwidth. The video is played in whatever compression your internet speed will take. But yes you can download and wait for a better resolution
@@blackopaldirect I'm on my phone but using home wifi, it always plays low quality for me, but in the three dot menu the is a "quality" option that allows me to switch to 2160p and enjoy all its glory! :D
Auto 720p for me
Still awesome quality. Thank you for sharing your masterful work/ hobby. 💪
@@blackopaldirect Here in NYC our providers throttle us, when I bump it up to the 2160 it streams fine, but yea the default is generally 480 for most youtube video's that I watch. ISP's are cheap :)
Justin, so good getting to “know” you on your channel. Your indomitable spirit, positive attitude, generosity and, of course, skills are inspiring. Well done.
Antonmursid🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏✌💝👌🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬✌💝👌🙏
Gotta tell you , I'm not a gemstone man. Then one day many yrs ago I came across your videos and I'm an Opel fan and watch all of your videos. I love to see the reveal , thank you💯👌
This video marks the point where I finally watched all 11 years of archives! Thanks again Justin for sharing your knowledge and life with us. I look forward to keeping up with your new videos. Keep up the great work! ❤️
Haha wow nice work. And thank you for watching so long 🙏❤️
Justin, I've always loved opals but never realized how much work and skill went into cutting them just right, I've learned so much from your channel over the past year and gained and even deeper appreciation for artisans as yourself and of course those beautiful opals! Thanks for being there for us, you are a character and I love your upbeat personality!
Thank you William
@@blackopaldirect where do you find these opals and buy the rough stones, im being nosing, just wondering
I am so happy. Usually you have to struggle to get the finished stone, this time it was straightforward, and was magnificent at the finish. Thanks for sharing your talent and time. Be happy, safe and stay healthy 😷⚒
thank you :)
Just wanted to pop in and say your videos captivate me and sooth my soul! Never even been into anything even related to what you do, but your passion for this hobby and the love that comes out the other side is nothing short of contagious! Thank you for doing what you do man.
Thanks for the kind words
Beautiful colors, that stone wanted to be a teardrop.
Absolutely beautiful!
Nicely done ... Justin!
You truly are a Master of your Craft! 💜
Thank you! Cheers!
I have never seen an opal cut & polished before. I was mesmerized. Incredible to watch.
Welcome.
I love watching you work. I have learned so much from watching you and listening to your advice. I am the one that shared his first ever attempt at cutting and polishing opal on your Facebook page. My first piece was a piece of Coober Pedy white opal. Started at 45 carats and now sits at just over 17 carats. The best news? I already have it sold for over 4 times what I paid for the rough stone. I am still staying with the cheaper opal right now. Don't want to get overly confident and mess up a really nice piece, but I hope to buy some higher quality rough once my skill level gets a little higher.
You have definitely turned me into a opal-holic and I couldn't be happier about it.
Haha nice well done
I live all the way in Norway, and let me just say this, i first started watchin YT Snippets of opal hunters, and ever since that first snippet i watched ive been addicted, i love the way they find the opal and how good looking the gem is, and now i have found your channel and watched a few vids here and there, and OH MY. i really want to mine opal once in my life! looks fun... but also dangerous ofc. but i love the vids, keep em coming!!
Gorgeous! Every time I see a new piece I have a new favorite 🤩😂
Greetings from Iran, I just wanted to tell you for some reason watching your videos calms me. Thanx.
thats great to hear Milad 🙏
Just did a 11hour gig loading in Weazer, get home and there you are with a good opal rub, bless you i needed that. 😁😉😍
I'm so glad I found your channel--I love watching you work your magic on the wheel and watch the beauty emerge!
A very very pretty gem Justin. You didnt seem your happy cheery self today, I waited for the song, joke or dance from you, maybe next time. A pretty gem, different from the normal black opal, just as nice, but nothing beats black opal. Thank you for sharing this video Black Opal Direct, or for this week White Opal Direct, lol and as always looking forward to next weeks video. Until then.....
I've watched you cut all types of opal. A straightforward cut to its full potential is still an enjoyable journey to go on.
Cheers you Guys, awesome editing! Just beautiful ! 🌈
Your videos are so fun to watch also very relaxing watching you polish tiny galaxies
I've been too chicken to grind my opals, over the years. Your educating us is giving me the desire to give it a try. I've cut many, many different types of stones, but never opal. Soon...
That is my favorite opal. Love watching you bring these beautiful stones to life!!
Great to you cutting some white opal Justin ,as always great job beautiful stone .
Very pretty result Justin ! Nice to see a white opal from the Ridge :-) Excellent as always !
Glad you enjoyed it Geoff
What an art! What an artisan! What an opal! Beautiful, mate!
I just love watching your work. Very soothing in a stressful day to day. I utilize your channel to relax and fall in love with opals!
so beautiful, these have got to be my favorite gemstones
That blue-orange-red combo is amazing!
Such a beautiful stone beautiful colors and last but not least beautiful craftsmanship by you my friend.
Love your videos. I cut a lot of Mexican Opal and Mexican FireAgate. You commented a steady hand is important. I agree, but i have a tremor mostly in my right hand, that has not prevented me from cutting a lot of great stones. I make jewelry with the tremor also. Just make another adjustment.
Nice work for not giving up
Thought that it could’ve been a two sided gem, the colors are incredible!!
I thought the same. When you see that color poking through the backside you want to see it all the way sooo bad.
Me too. Just wondering what influenced the decision
Maybe worth more but that way.
I'd keep the white bolder in one side and the crown opal on the other. One would be so lucky to have that beauty. It's like night shinning with all the different colors of the sky in one stone. I'm mesmerized. I'm day 20 recovering from covid n this is keepp ing me going I just love to watch
I've seen some beautiful black opals on your channel but seeing this white one confirmed to me that I prefer the whites. They just look softer in colour to me.
Fascinating to watch how you bring out the fantastic stone inside. What rewarding work. True skills there.
Glad you enjoyed it
You just never know exactly what the opal will look like until you get there, it is so exciting, beautiful stone.
I really enjoy watching you cut Opal, it's very soothing!
Very nice work Justin. Keep it up and keep those videos coming.😊 Your a true craftsman.
Those hands, that gem, another beauty ❤
Hoping for harlequin pattern... Haha. I like your optimism. Another beautiful opal brought out to be it's best by a true craftsman. Well done.
Oh man, i`ve watched a dozen vids by now .... i`m an addict. Nature is the best, beautiful!
First time I’ve noticed how bright it flashes on the wheel. This piece looked like it was on fire!
I was excited by the middle stripe of colour. but the finished result wow gorgeous
Thank you! 😊
Such amazing colours ❤️ thank you for sharing
I love espresso as well Justin and I have a commercial espresso machine plumbed into my coffee bar I had built in my kitchen. Love your channel and the beautiful Opals you cut.
Its absolutely gorgeous!
Hey Justin this is Mike over in the USA. It’s always nice to see you sir and this is a marvelous looking opal book! I was just looking at your catalog and that’s just wonderful to see so many beautiful opals sir. You take care and bless you and your family. Stay well! Looking old book it looks like instead of
Thank you my friend
Your such a friend to all of us that Love to learn this craft !
Awww thank you
So nice to watch how you cut them. I would love to try that! ☺️
Yay! I was just rewatching one of your live uploads! I love you guys, and your channel is FANTASTIC! I hope this is a "did I make a good investment?" video. Those are my FAVORITES!
Good to know thank you for watching
Isn't white opal fairly valuable as its fairly rare?
@@blackopaldirect this was AWESOME! I love ALL of your videos, but these kinds, where it's a rather large piece, or one that could go either way...these just keep me on the edge of my seat. I LOVE seeing you bring out the beauty hiding in what looks like ordinary rocks! You're a legend! - -Tracey, Washington State, USA.
love this channel, between the wheel asmr and seeing a rough stone turn into a gem I'm hooked. I live in Oregon, United states, I have seen opalized fossils and a few opals but was unsure if anything of this level could be found in Oregon. Cheers!
Amazingly beautiful as always!
Loved seeing the whole process especially on the dop stick, great stone, great video 👌
Glad you enjoyed it!
Beautiful 🌈 color. Love it
Glad you stuck with drop shape, looks great thanks for the vid.
I never saw you cut a stone more beautifull than your personality.
Greetings from Holland .......
It turned out great Justin for a light colour. Well done mate.
A beautiful pastell color ! 💚
Very cool, simply love watching you on the wheel, Justin! Merry Christmas and thank you for sharing, Aye!
Stunning Justin. Hope you and your family is going well over in Oz. Greetings from NZ
Great color for a white opal Justin . Most of the ones I’ve seen were to milky. That one is exceptional. Well done !
Love how thick the color bar is and how it's sandwiched dead center.
That's gonna be a piece of dynamite💯
Spectacular, as per usual! ♥️
What a beautiful opal!
Wow! Gorgeous stone!
Oh Justin that looks good enough to eat! I realize black opal is the most sought after, but I can appreciate beauty whenever I see it. Thank you for sharing this with us.
It's a shame there's no delivery service to Heaven. I'd so love to be able to gift my mother one of your beautiful opals. Guess God has all that covered though!
What a Stunning Opal , Wow !!!! 😲
That is so Beautiful, I bought my first white opal this year and I love it so much but i would like to get one like that.
so wonderful to watch these videos
Very beautiful. My mother had a milk opal it was dazzling, it flashed a lot. Thank you for sharing ♥♥♥
OMG.! What a beauty.!!! Thanks for sharing. 👍👍❤️❤️
You should have let the camera linger longer on that beauty!
Another dream gem!
Thanks for sharing!!!!
I’ve never seen a white opal. It’s beautiful!
OMG, I thought I was the only one with shaky hands after too much coffee. Love the espresso. Love the stone.
Lovely colours!!!
Gorgeous ! When I was in Brasil, we were invited to Amsterdam Sauer to buy stones. One of the owners, had the most beautiful Hunk .. of Seam Opal in a a wall showcase lined with black velvet and back lit . It was behind him and Glowed Bright . It looked a lot like yours, but 5 inches thick!!! I wanted it , but didn’t even bother to ask the price. He saw me drooling and had someone bring me a smaller tiny piece of the same type opal, still in the matrix. It was the best and most memorable thing that I got in Brasil..
Wow that must have been a grand experience!
Love your video's, it would be great to see some more educational stuff about opals as well, eg types of patterns and maybe some geology as well.
You are Opal Master of the Year Boss👍👍👍
Thank You so much 🙏🙏🙏
Wow, thank you
Just up front the COLOR BAR is AMAZING!!! Can you imagine having several pieces of it that are like 30-50 carats each cut and finished!!!!
Oh my goodness the first flash made my heart skip a beat!
That is a beautiful stone and I love the shape. I've seen lots of ovals but I don't remember ever seeing a teardrop Opal. Wish I could afford it.
Absolutely beautiful, love it.
Bloody awesome yet again mate. Cheers for this.
This i can honestly say, is my favorite opal color! Black and others are beautiful, rare, whatever. This is my favorite!
Haha nice
Stunning results
I know iv watched this before, just a bit down so come to my happy place. Thanks Justin
I love watching the beautiful gems that appear out of the rough stone as you’re working them
I do lapidary with a small club We have a good amount of wheels and a slab saw - it’s very relaxing
I quite enjoy working with Tiger Eye
That was a lovely opal Justin, with the white colour of the stone, it looks like you could of cut deeper to the colour bar. I guess you could see how deep you needed to go. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for the tip! 🙏
nice cut thank you for sharing the adventure.
I wasn't expecting it to be that bright with colour,very nice.
Thank you! Cheers!
What a beauty! Nice work Justin!
Always a pleasure to watch. Could you have sliced it thru the middle of the color bar with, thinest of blades and get two gems?
I stopped the video at 0:40 and thought... uh oh... there’s a very thin potch line in the middle of that thick color bar! 😬 I’m now going to continue the video to find out...🤞🏼
Finished watching. Whew! 😰😁👍🏻
Funny, I thought the same thing...
MORE!!! Just need more vids to watch from BOD. The times between uploads are sooo longggg and almost unbearable(They aren't really, I just cant get enough).
Love your work Justin!! but seriously I need more magic to watch ;)
Stunning camera work Mel. You really are getting good at your video craft. 👍🏽👍🏽
Hey Justin goes alright too. 😉
Nice opal, enjoyed that reveal... was on the edge of my seat.
Mel is leaving us in a few days to follow her dreams
@@blackopaldirect I am both sad & happy to hear this news. I’ve missed the last couple of vids. Wishing you all the best Mel & have loved our little connection on this channel. You’ll be amazing at whatever you put your mind into what your heart wants.
Bout to have a change ourselves & are buying a propagation nursery so we are moving into a beautiful homestead. Only 20 minutes away.
Here’s to positive changes 🍻
Absolutely beautiful stone
I’m a tool and die polisher in the beverage and tool can press manufacturing industry. I polish the punches that go into the presses that make the can lids, the tabs that open them, and the rivet that holds the tab down, polishing tool steel and carbide. With that all in mind, would I have an issue in getting into shaping and polishing gems and stones like this as a hobby/side gig?
I just got two massive rough opal chunks today, a 200some odd carot and a 400 some odd one. Lots of pure white that the flash light shines through, but what little bars i can see are perfectly clear, im hesitant to start working lol. These are my first large chunks to work with. Ive done a few tiny ones before.
I really like the black opals best, but that one is wonderful. Great job!
Thank you 🙏
I know this is late, but its interesting to hear different methods of opal cutting. I was instructed to go 600-1200- 140000, then to a slurry(similar to cerium oxide) on felt wheel, then to 50k 100k then a final low speed buff with a tiny amount of ZAM. I want to say the slurry mix is from Paul Downing but since I dont have it, I just use CO. I think I am going to try your method to see if it saves time with similar results.
Haha it seems that you are going backwards on a few grits. Anything over 50k will not do much at all and will frustrate you. 1200grit nova to cerium will be absolutely fine
@@blackopaldirect added an extra zero there, 14000. I'll give it a shot your way.