Massive rough opal Nobby! Do we cut a gemstone or leave it as it is?
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- If it was a challenge I was after - I have certainly found it!
I knew this nobby opal was going to be a tough cut, I was prepared to fight the sand monsters - would I be victorious in this challenge or submit defeat?
blackopaldirec...
Thanks for watching :)
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Make sure to like the video everyone!
You can’t always win and we have to show mad respect for posting the video, win or lose.
Thank you
I believe you find an honest person that's does such a great job of sharing his skills and experience an is still humble, ill go out of my way to be sure to hit the buttons early because I know it's going to be good,
@@gpa6449 🙏🙏🙏
A bummer like this will make you appreciate the next stunner so much more! Tnx for sharing it all not just the highs
As a Geologist, I was thinking "Don't cut it, I'll buy if off you just like that!" It will make a nice specimen, just not enough there to make a profit from the gemmy bits. I've seen diamonds like that, beautiful perfect crystal form and lustre but shot through with inclusions.
@@davesmith5656 that's Boulder Opal .
Kind of hard to sell as a specimen with the potential of a $50,000 gem inside. Shame you mostly only know after cutting it down.
Pessimist
@@SirRocksAlot Some people you just can't reach. Watch the whole video.
@@bigwhale5840 He's the Pro. You're the critic.
I had to stop and drop you a note. I recently stumbled upon your channel and in the past week and half have knocked out watching at least 20-30 hours of your content. I work from home and have a stressful job. And during this time, it’s quite relaxing to watch you cut and fashion the most beautiful gems in the world, while educating us all. I also get excited with you when you uncover a stone is better than you thought. I’m literally cheering for you. You’re very talented and inspiring. I’m sending you good vibes from Tacoma, WA, and wishing you all the very best. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. This is the best show on UA-cam!
Haha thank you for watching
Thanks for sharing the disappointments as well as the successes. Makes your channel very authentic!
I really love how you don't only ever show the super amazing gems but also ones like these that don't work out so well
I have to be real or no-one would believe in me
@@blackopaldirect Please show us more of the ones that don't work out. Man I love opal, I'm saving to buy from you. Need and opal ring.
Justin, no truer words have ever been said. Seeing you go through the highs and lows of life help us, your viewers, develop that respect for you.....and when we see an opal fail to allow you to turn it into something heavenly, it just makes your wins that much more meaningful!
I would love this opal as a pendant. Even with the sand it's a gorgeous colour!
Hello Justin. I'm always amazed at the skills necessary to adequately and properly coax a gem out of a piece of opal rough. I appreciate the ringside seat you give us in exploring what is required to bring a gem from rough to finished beauty. Thank you and be well.
These are my favorite style of videos you upload. Curated commentary throughout the roughing cutting process. But I still appreciate the variation between other video styles (live, silent, etc). Thank you for doing what you're doing and sharing with us the most interesting type of gemstone in the world! (I'm a little bit biased of course with an October birthday).
Haha I am glad you like this format Pan
GG Justin! Can’t always turn a roughy into a gem, but you do most of the time ;)
This is Christine from Bartonville IL. Just happened to stumble upon this channel a couple of weeks ago. It’s my go to when I get on you tube! Just love opal and really love 💕 how you explain what is going on when you’re going in!!! Lol. I have never seen a script pattern before, what a treat! I wouldn’t be able to sell it! Keep up the good work Justin and the rest of the crew. I’m sure I’ll be getting your names down too. 🥰
Hi Justin thanks for giving us a chance to see your fantastic work,
Just the fact you also show when things go south makes you one of the greats. On to the next one.
Thanks for keeping the win to fail ratio realistic on your channel. "Keeping it real", as they say!
Love your videos Justin, so relaxing and satisfying ❤👍
That's why I find your vids comforting in these depressing days, because even though you sometimes hit a bad streak and lose a stone you never lose your equilibrium or inner convictions and beliefs. Just regroup and carry on because the only alternative is to die.
Lol their is better things than dyeing
Tough break jt
But People do need to see this side of opal to get an understanding of the unpredictability of opal. Even with someone with as much experience as yourself.
It’s a dicey game sometimes 😂
Thanks for the continued content mate
Bummer, the color was beautiful!
Mother Nature can be cruel at times but one defeat does not define you or your work. You have enjoyed many successes. This is her way of saying "I see you Justin. Keep doing what you doing but remember those are my opals and sometimes I'll give you a challenge you can't win to keep you humble". Funny enough, I would consider purchasing a "beat by sand opal" because we as humans arent perfect, and sometimes, these beautiful gemstones can serve to remind us that even in imperfection, there is beauty.
This is true. Thank you for watching
Thanks for sharing, tough result this time but it makes those super gem opals all the more worth it. Crazy how some nobbies that seem to have no potential cut some bright little gems whereas this large piece that seemed great as a specemin was riddled with sand.
Justin , you are a perfectionist. You will go for the best stone possible.
Feeling your frustration Justin. Enough to make a grown man cry. 💯😞🤠
As always... this is more important than the call I am on...
That one calls for a dentist drill. You could have given it to a dentist to remove the sandy cavities while leaving as much color as possible.
I love the new workshop! It looks to be a more comfortable place to work!
:( oh cmon man, waited for so long and got this when you come back? You gotta do us justice and come back with another absolute gem! Love from Romania!
You look well and your sense of silliness has made it through unscathed! The suspense and your disappointment made me feel your pain...but I enjoyed watching the rollercoaster ride with you.
Glad you still enjoyed
i love the up´s and down´s of the opal hunt, thanks for sharing
Dear Justine, thank you for this video. It did demonstrate some of the financial risk your exposed to as a businessman. The colours of the uncut stone were quite beguiling. I've heard you say before that one paradox is you need the sand layers present as the opal forms, but their spacing also needs to allow for clear gems to be cut.
Even with the sand it is Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
Nice to see you back Justin!!!
My favorite format, thank you.
That’s unlucky, hope your feeling better. We missed you 👍👍👍👍
🖐😊💎👍 I hope it will turn out good for you and BOD Justin! So sorry...but I think it's good to be beaten too once in a while because it keeps us on our toes...
This is what makes opals so precious.
Correct
Hey Justin, that was hard to watch! Felt for you on that big nobby, but like you said, it can happen to anyone. Good luck next time!
It happens
Oh they're there ya just gotta step back and let them come out looks like theirs several little stones in it but might be some bigger ones pop out if ya make couple cuts
Thank you for taking us on this adventure, even if it didn't turn out as you would have liked.
Wow! Tought stuff. Hoped a suite of smaller lovely matching stones could be found.....ratz!
I just found your channel 2 days ago (and watches it till 5 in the morning!) Now I really wanted to leave a comment but realized I would only say the same most of the others already did 😂: it's so beautiful and I'd love to have (but never could afford even such a sandy beauty) - however, if it wasn't obvious - I truely adore and love your chanel, your opals and of course you 😉... Lots of love from Vienna, Austria!
Welcome 😊
Great to see you back at it! Too bad this one didn't go well... hope you're recovering well! Your health's more important anyway...
Aww thank you Kettle
Thanks for sharing Boss👍👍👍. And you can name the Opal NO Elmstreet. Or just Freddy or Krueger ....😂😂😂
Hi justin, new subscriber here. Been binge watching your videos today as I’m really getting back into opals. Thank you for the reminder that you win some and you lose some. It’s nice to see that you don’t just post about all the good things and you keep it real. Have a great evening (or day)
Welcome aboard! and thank you for the kind words Cass
It's still a wonderful specimen!
The colors are just gorgeous.
Respect for your honesty . Keep the Great videos coming
Thank you for all your videos, from the amazing to even sand trap stones your videos are enjoyed by all, seeing the best stones cut into a beautiful black . seeing the magic when you take difficult stone that may not have a good chance of cutting a gem an manytimes you still get nice gemstones. You are far too humble an funny, maybe I'll get to go to the Tucson show an say hello, I cant cut, carve or cab right now but hopefully when all the equipment is set up again it may be better, I'm very Blessed family is trying to set the 8"wheels , saw an carving station up to accommodate for some damage I have. Thanks again for taking the time, and making alot of ppl smile. Paul or G pa 64
I would love to see some bizarrely carved opal. Just the free organic form with the sand spots carved out. It would look spectacular
Love to know where you got your gem torch. I've been wanting to buy one just like it, but can't seem to find one online. Really sorry about that nobby, it had some genuine amazing colors, but it just wasn't in the cards...this time. ; )
Dang! What a downer! But you gave it your best. It was a good lesson on what can defeat the best artisan, which you are.
I really respect that you do not only show us the happy endings, but the reality of the trade. That is how life is, it has ups and downs.
Thank you
Can't win them all Justin. I like that you are sharing these working parts of your life with us..good and bad. I'll watch and like them all.
Thank you Daniel
You just didn't want to shock our systems with anything to brilliant after the time off. Very thoughtful!!! LOL!!!!
Haha Michael I'm glad you are here haha
Was hoping for a stop about 1/3 of the way through, and keep for a specimen. But watching the whole process was just fine and a lesson in determination, no matter how it turns out, esp. knowing something wonderful might be around the corner next time. Would it be worth the time to remove some of the surface sand/clay, even if pocked marked, it could be still beautiful and interesting? Thanks from ME, USA.🤗
What a bummer. One of life's lemons. If my horse had that much sand in him, he would need a vet! Lol. Greetings from Dimboola, in Victoria.
lol nice analogy haha
Justin that was such a beautiful specimen. Sorry it didn't turn out. Maybe sometimes best to just polish as a specimen and consider it as similar to a beautiful boulder opal with the bonus of having more opal than sand..
Thanks for sharing 👍
I feel your pain, I had a 30 carat Ethiopian opal that would have been a gem. Shattered trying to put it on a dop stick, that was a sad day. Keep on going that's all we can do.👍😁
I have been reading that they can't take the heat from heating and dopwax. I like the idea of wood glue over superglue because I am convinced less of it will absorb into the stone. There are a lot of reports of hydrophane opals turning yellow in a few years which is probably something they absorbed oxidizing. Also, they can absorb the tint of polishing compounds. I would avoid oils with these because oils will absorb into the stones and will oxidize over time. This kind of thing makes me wary of buying any finished stones, because you don't know what was used on it, how it was stored before that (apparently sometimes they are put in oil which...um no.) Also dry them out really slowly or they will crack. You could pre-crack them, of course, and the leftover fragments should be stable. I will say from experience that hot glue will stick to non-porous opals, but good luck getting it off again. That said- if one could figure out how to get hot glue off of hydrophane, it would probably make a great dop material because it can be cooled slightly before application and if you slowly pre-warmed the opal first, it could probably handle this as long as the heating was slow.
@@andreameigs1261 I agree, my fatal error was due to being hasty when the stone popped off the dop stick. I should have waited 24 hours before attempting to re dop the stone. Also since I mainly use the dremel the stone was probably big enough to hold with my fingers. 😏😏 Hindsight is 20/20!!😂😂
@@bhutjolokia6990 Why should you have waited 24 hours before trying to re-dop the stone? What were you dopping with? Were you cutting wet or dry?
@@andreameigs1261 Cutting wet and my room was cold so too much of a shock with all that.
@@andreameigs1261 Regular green dopping wax with flame lamp.
Hey Justin!
Love watching your videos - my Dad was an Opal Miner in Lightening Ridge when he first moved to Australia!
Are there any chemical options of dissolving sand that can work with this? ie, is the sand softer than the crystal that an acid (or something) would eat the sand but leave the opal?
Obviously, this stone was a write off, so is it something that could be tried with it?
I don’t think an acid would work because the sand is essentially the same stuff as the opal so whatever would dissolve the sand would also dissolve the gem unfortunately 😕
And by that I mean the sand, potch, and gem opal are all made from silica. The only difference is crystalline structure.
nice cutting but I think the sand had you beat from the start . you can't win them all sensei but we know you gave it your best thank you for sharing the adventure with us 😉.
If sand hasn't broken my opal dreams it has been ginger whiskers of late. Not every piece but it feels like it some days. Thanks for the video and the addiction Justin.
It happens to us all
Justin I have one on my desk at the moment just like yours. A large specimen that sand has intruded into. I actually stopped on my wheels early and started carving the piece I wish I could post a photo here. It is still a work in progress but I have not lost a lot of bulk from the stone by carving it. It will never be a high value piece, I will set it as a pendant when it is finished
Yeah some are just not worth working on. I wish I never started mine lol
🙏🙏 it is still beautiful. I would love to work with you but never mind, I will keep watching your videos from Eire. Good luck and please throw your castoffs my way lol!
Good to see you show both sides of what you do
Love the should of gone fishing today comment! Such a bummer -lots of color. You pays your money and takes your chances.
Looks so beautiful even with the sand spots. But I love the Crystal Opals, do the Crystal Opals have bodytone like the rest of the Opals? I would of sliced it to pieces lol, kinda like me (Green tooth) slice it and have a tiny stone & a tooth or just a ripper of a tooth. GOTTA LOVE HAROLD HODGES!!
Now watching on my Lap ch.
Ouch. Sorry that nobby didn’t surprise you in a good way.
Mate honestly from the time I watched the video I thought slice it into little gems, always wanted to get into Opal one way or another but never had the opportunity. Anyway good luck with the future.
I wonder Justin if you or anyone has ever tried to use glass bead, or rather something less aggressive such as nut shell to remove the sand in a piece such as this!? You'd be left with a lot of crystal opal that you could very strategically dismantle and create gems with?? Just a thought, but I think it would be really neat to see the result of the blasting! 😊
That colour is stunning ,shame about the ton of sand.
Justin...a big man beaten by sand.
Well you gave it a good shot my friend.
Haha sand is a bully
Such beautiful color in such a sandy stone. Damn.
Damn that sux. Those colors were soo vibrant. I think i even liked it better than full spectrum.
That blue green n yellow/gold is captivating 2 me. Do u have a link for sales? Something like that u cant make into jewelry grade do u make into trinkets or pass it on 2 someone else?
Depending on what is cementing the sand, would soaking in vinegar do anything? I have a GORGEOUS purple crystal opal that is just plain old eaten up with the sand spots, and I want to salvage what I can of a truly pretty stone!
Good you are back Justin. I literally looked up your phone number a little while ago to make sure you and your wife and Tamica are ok since you have not been on for a couple weeks.
I was thinking the whole time how does it look just polished as it is and right at the end you answered the question!
I hope your on the mend, much love and prayers for you.
To paraphrase and old saying about bears. Sometimes you get the sand and sometimes the sand gets you. Appreciate you showing the reality
Love what you do.
Thank you
I've always wondered the process gemologist or gem cutter goes through trying to find out how to shape a stone.
Fascinating. I love gemstones and everything about them. Just a amateur myself.
I would suggest just using a dremel at first, to remove all sand, put up at auction that way with reserve, if it doesn’t net profit, then do this. But still love your work, epic. Keep it coming
I'm sure it will win, because it's a very nice and beautiful stone, congratulations friends.
Well, those of us who don't wear jewelry and who collect beautiful "rocks" would love to have that piece, even cut down as it is!
well justin you win some and you lose some . but like several people have already said i would buy it just polish it up a bit. its still a gorgeous specimen regardless of the sand. i have a really good feeling you find one very soon that will make this one like it never happened. 😉
Wow that hurts. Not so much because of the loss of investment, but the idea that you can see beautiful opal that never fully became a gem. All the more reason to appreciate the ones that do pan out to become beautiful gems that can be adored for eternity. Thank you for showing us your process Justin : D
Welcome Alex
Hello, Thank you for your great videos. Would you please let me know why you don´t use a precision compact die mini grinder for work on stones ? sorry for my naive question
You can use anything that grinds in water
@@blackopaldirect Thank you.
just ordered my first parcel from @blackopaldirect. to say I'm excited is an understatement!!
That's life mate, you win some you lose some. Better luck next time.
About halfway through when you finally decided to take a rest and think about it. I was thinking to myself you've got to know somebody who likes to carve opal into non cavachon settings. Virtually a necklace hanging piece. There's got to be people that do that. But as ever it's a great wonder to see you accomplish your pieces
You show reality. It was fun and heartbreaking
We all have this struggle Justin. I won't work on Mondays for the very same reasons. Best of luck next time 🙏
😂😂
Thank god! I have been jonesing for a new video!!!!
Love your arrow heads so beautiful 🤩👍💕
For some time ago you showed us a very big rough opal(I hope it is the correct term). What did happen to that stone
Fascinating to make a smooth polished gem from the rough stone ❤️
Been a minute Justin but with the new mics you have being it sounds like XLR to USB...when you are in windows you don't want the windows mic settings to be above 50...if it is you will get that background buzz you hear...if the pre amp before it goes into windows doesn't boost that up enough there are ways in your recording software ie. OBS that can boost that sound for you so it is nice a crisp.
Use a Dremel on it and explore the stone. You might get something odd-shaped but clean. Someone like me might go for it. Better than any Dame Agatha Christie novel. Thank you, Justin.
haha nice
Do you still have this stone? As a gemcutter I know the feeling of being completely done with a stone, but if you still have it maybe Saxon could try his hand at cutting some small stones from it?
When you run into a stone like this one. Can you just sell it as is for something? Just wondered! 👍👍👌🙉🙈🙊✌
Risky business! One day you're up amongst the Gods, the next day you're at the bottom of a gravel pit. Grrr! I think we're all delighted when you get a really lovely opal. Next time! 👍🏻👍🏻
That is life and opal. Thanks for watching
Ever thought of using a water pick to micro blast the sand out? It’d be a cavitous stone, but an interesting specimen.
"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." - F. Gump, philosopher.
That's actually his mother's saying, "Momma always said like is like a box of chocolates"
@@wteverisgud Yes, I know. :)