Hi everyone I used to live in Andamooka and work at Olympic dam mine .on our days off we would look for opals the locals would say in the old days the opal miner's would just throw this stuff away so plenty of people have found matrix's just laying around the old dump's it's a fantastic place to live but bloody hot and at night you get the most clearest sky you would ever see the starrs are amazing but I had a accident and become a paraplegic I have been in hospital for over a year now and watching UA-cam videos a lot and you do a fantastic job cutting and polishing your opals thanks for the interesting videos opal really is a magical stone.
@@PulitzerOpalhi and thanks for the reply . My mate Jamie who had a grate eye for finding matrix opal always called it dead opal. I don't no if that the rite name or not but most of it treats really good.. and I agree it looks fantastic after treatment. So thanks again and I wish you all the best in 2020
All my opal arrowheads became pendants and are long gone to ex girlftiends but i need to get some more suitable materal.i have some flint but love chipping only opal now except for all that fire in the flakes which is a bit of a bummer so i had. To practice on lower quality stuff at first. Oh well.
I nearly fell off my chair when you revealed after treatment. I LOVE them ALL!! I'd have so much trouble deciding which to work with first! If I had the one you called "the king" I would make it into a double sided pendant to showcase both sides. Oh, but they are all so brilliant
@@PulitzerOpal thank you for responding. Yes, "the king" was the one that you're talking about. I'm not a jeweler, but I play around with wire weaving and have been moving toward sterling silver wire. I'd love to see how the jeweler finally decides to set this stone. It's so fabulous on both sides it would be a shame to hide either of them.
I honestly fell in love! For about 9 years I’ve loved opal, but today I saw the most beautiful stones i have ever seen! One day I will surely get my hands on a few and proudly wear and display them
@@PulitzerOpal that's true, I am an amateur when it comes to this as I have never fully delved into the world of stones deeper than admiring them often, so I haven done my homework. Yesterday I was checking on ebay and they sell some matrix opal but it doesn't compare to this at all! I still liked it though. Is there a place where I could buy a decent ring or earring made of opal at a fairly affordable price? (Like for starters) Thank you for the reply as well, have a beautiful day.
Wow, that is absolutely stunning transformation. I couldn't take my eyes off them, and I don't know anything about stones of any kind but even I can appreciate their beauty.
My goodness man, what a beautiful video packed full of info and gorgeous matrix opal. You do such amazing stuff mate. Thank you, will share this as much as I can, it needs to be seen and appreciated to its fullest! Thank you! Thank you!
Pulitzer Opal Yeah, I’m really getting into making the videos myself. It’s a hobby all on its own and such a great creative outlet. You can tell you really know and love what you do, both with the opals and the videos. Just great watching to be honest mate!
My customer base REQUIRES that their gems that there would NOT have ANY treatment. I love the fact that that you show about possible treatments. Your historic years in the industry makes it a way that I tell customer.
I loved this video! I have a ton of matrix now. I have a great source, and have bought about $10k in roughs from him. I need to buckle down and start finishing some! I always enjoy the level of detail and explanation you go through for us.
never knew anything about opals till i started watching your channel. All i knew was i love them an think theyre just amazing. Seeing this video, i thought, the 'before ' opals were fantastic, but the 'after' is just mind blowing. thanks for showing.
Have been using all my data on watching craftsman like this,can't stop watching, absolutely beautiful,wish I was young enough to learn this,I'm retired so can only drool,thanks for sharing👍👌🍺
I'm so glad you commented on whether glassiness affects treatment! I was really concerning because I put a finish polish on half my carvings before starting the treatment. I hope mine come out as well as yours.! Personally, andamooka is my totally fav and I've worked with all kinds of opal!
We both think andamooka is the best lol. And it hadn't occurred to me that I could do touch up on my pieces after treatment and then re treat it. Thank you so much for sharing your obsession ! Lol
When you talk about soaking the opal in the warm sulfuric acid and sugar, I always think of an experiment I saw as a kid in high school. My chemistry teacher placed sugar and sulfuric acid in a large beaker. The sugar reacts with the sulfuric acid and is dehydrated by the sulfuric acid leaving only the carbon in the sugar. :)
Wow! What a difference! The gem matrix transformed into a rainbow of beautiful bold color! It resembles Black Opal, because of the dark background with the color splattering. Your favorite one with the red splattering in the center of your newly created cabochon is stunning! I liked the treatment process did to your raw stones! Thank you for sharing!
very nice, I used to polish stones with my grandfather years ago, it was such a wonderful treat to work with him and learn about rock and life. I would not be the man I am without spending time with a great wise one and his rocks.
I am in California and owned a sea glass company during the second decade of the new century. A customer of mine from Australia sent me four black treated Andamooka. They aren’t the highest quality and each stone is around two inches but they DO have a bit of flash in each and are lovely to look at. I will keep them, no matter! ❤
That king stone turned out really bold, that's one of the nicer color gradients I've seen in a stone. That would make quite the ring stone. You should try carving some of the treated material to expose the lighter color gradient below, like a cameo but with an active background full of color.
Man, imagine the stuff I don't know about!! WOW!! This is really, hands down, the most beautiful stones of ANY kind I've ever seen... I don't know anything about all this, but I do understand beauty when I see it. Those are just gorgeous.... what a cool thing to own/do for a living!!
I have a bottle of Opal rough that my dad bought 45 years ago. There are 2 great pieces among many less quality pieces. I have worked 3 stones up and gotten good results. I am planning to work the rest of the bottle before I get going on the best pieces? I dearly live Opal but I won't likely be able to afford purchasing more after my stash is gone, I just wish it were a more affordable gemstone! So unique and beautiful! Thanks for sharing your passion!
Colonel, In a UA-cam video I watched last year, I had heard a certain Opal cutters dad or partner, I can’t remember which, liked to cut and polish their gem matrix before treatment as treating first only gets so deep and rubs away while being cut. As you found out in this video. But I agree, that gem matrix produced some spectacular color. Thank you for the content sir.
@@PulitzerOpal This is GREAT info! I've already started looking for a mid-range 5 wheel and saw. The only thing is, if you dont know the terms, you don't know what to search for. "Black Opal Direct" has small parcels (cheap) that I can train and develop the skills needed. But, THANK YOU so much for taking the time to do these vids and share your knowledge!
Thats something i didnt know about the "treatment". Im sure you know about triplets. It makes sense that if you can blacken the "anti" matrix black that it would look so beautiful and absorb the light like so. Ive made a few triplets with quartz on top and black backing but that "treatment" is awesome! Ill have to ponder on the chemistry there. The hydrous nature of opal and "burnt" sugar seems to work. Crazy but lovely! Thanks for posting that info. So intriguing and beautiful.
I Love the colors. WoW the difference in the colors is amazing. Yes the treatment you did brought out the intense colors that brought out so much beauty of the piece!❤ Thank you for sharing
Ha! Black crystal opal is finest wherever it's found. I'm a Virgin Valley Nevada opal miner whose finds include a 7 inch fossil branch opal, black opals and amazing clear crystal opals. Incredible large opals are relatively common to find in the tractor scoops of dirt we can buy from the mine but they're usually better to display in the opal domes sold in the area. Besides almost everyone finding opals, there is also a free camp ground next to a large warm spring pool that is a great place to swim and party with friends.
I love that beautiful black opal...the color contrast is amazing. Pale opal is a different experience. And that green against the black is a show stopper.
Wooooow!!! What a great surprise!! Beautiful!! 😍. The one you chose to cut, your favorite. I would want it set in a setting that would show both sides because both are so beautiful.
Pulitzer Opal 😆, yea I think that thing called algorithm pushed you in all our feeds. I’m sure glad it did. I think I might of found a Opal bracelet today. It’s got a clear resin over it with purple tint. So pretty! 😍
Love the channel I am an amateur opal cutter and professional fanatic! Hands down opal is the most beautiful stone. Opal makes diamond look like a hunk of coal
It's very interesting to see what a difference the treatment makes but I still love the natural better, opals are my favourite stone too. My uncle and grandfather were prospectors so I grew up with opals. Thanks for your videos
I have been down a youtube rabbit hole, of opal cutting, for the past week and a half! ...you are dragging me deeper!
Hi everyone I used to live in Andamooka and work at Olympic dam mine .on our days off we would look for opals the locals would say in the old days the opal miner's would just throw this stuff away so plenty of people have found matrix's just laying around the old dump's it's a fantastic place to live but bloody hot and at night you get the most clearest sky you would ever see the starrs are amazing but I had a accident and become a paraplegic I have been in hospital for over a year now and watching UA-cam videos a lot and you do a fantastic job cutting and polishing your opals thanks for the interesting videos opal really is a magical stone.
@@PulitzerOpalhi and thanks for the reply . My mate Jamie who had a grate eye for finding matrix opal always called it dead opal. I don't no if that the rite name or not but most of it treats really good.. and I agree it looks fantastic after treatment. So thanks again and I wish you all the best in 2020
My hobby isnt even minerals and I have binge watched this channel all day
My hobby is gaming and I've been doing the same shit lol
agreed, it's nice to watch someone unlocking beauty.
Come for the sparkle, stay for the jokes!
All my opal arrowheads became pendants and are long gone to ex girlftiends but i need to get some more suitable materal.i have some flint but love chipping only opal now except for all that fire in the flakes which is a bit of a bummer so i had. To practice on lower quality stuff at first. Oh well.
Same im a small engine guy and have a small engine channel on UA-cam but love this content
I nearly fell off my chair when you revealed after treatment. I LOVE them ALL!! I'd have so much trouble deciding which to work with first!
If I had the one you called "the king" I would make it into a double sided pendant to showcase both sides. Oh, but they are all so brilliant
@@PulitzerOpal thank you for responding. Yes, "the king" was the one that you're talking about. I'm not a jeweler, but I play around with wire weaving and have been moving toward sterling silver wire. I'd love to see how the jeweler finally decides to set this stone. It's so fabulous on both sides it would be a shame to hide either of them.
I honestly fell in love! For about 9 years I’ve loved opal, but today I saw the most beautiful stones i have ever seen! One day I will surely get my hands on a few and proudly wear and display them
@@PulitzerOpal that's true, I am an amateur when it comes to this as I have never fully delved into the world of stones deeper than admiring them often, so I haven done my homework. Yesterday I was checking on ebay and they sell some matrix opal but it doesn't compare to this at all! I still liked it though. Is there a place where I could buy a decent ring or earring made of opal at a fairly affordable price? (Like for starters) Thank you for the reply as well, have a beautiful day.
Wow, that is absolutely stunning transformation. I couldn't take my eyes off them, and I don't know anything about stones of any kind but even I can appreciate their beauty.
My goodness man, what a beautiful video packed full of info and gorgeous matrix opal. You do such amazing stuff mate. Thank you, will share this as much as I can, it needs to be seen and appreciated to its fullest!
Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you for the nice comments! This was a great topic ... video made itself!
dpulitzer
Not without your work in the stones and the editing. I always love seein a new video pop up in my alerts! Thank you man 👍
Pulitzer Opal
Yeah, I’m really getting into making the videos myself. It’s a hobby all on its own and such a great creative outlet. You can tell you really know and love what you do, both with the opals and the videos. Just great watching to be honest mate!
I love your videos. Not only do we learn something but we get to watch some amazing Opals come to life💖
Wow that was incredible how the treatment made the colors just pop! I really love that look.
My customer base REQUIRES that their gems that there would NOT have ANY treatment. I love the fact that that you show about possible treatments. Your historic years in the industry makes it a way that I tell customer.
This is majestic! Opal is my birthstone and it amazes me how otherworldly it looks!
Wow! Absolutely stunning. Good call on the treatment!🥰😍
This was some of the most beautiful opal I've ever seen. Fantastic 👍
I loved this video! I have a ton of matrix now. I have a great source, and have bought about $10k in roughs from him. I need to buckle down and start finishing some!
I always enjoy the level of detail and explanation you go through for us.
I am glad that you liked the video. It's impossible to NOT like the opal! Good luck with your opal!
U love your videos too let me know if you are interested in lighting ridge opal
it's pretty easy to carve too.i' ve done some buddha's, were awesome
never knew anything about opals till i started watching your channel. All i knew was i love them an think theyre just amazing. Seeing this video, i thought, the 'before ' opals were fantastic, but the 'after' is just mind blowing. thanks for showing.
Bonnie, I had the same feelings when the opals came out of treatment. Stunning.
How you do treatment
Super and which kind of acid toi use and how much is needed cause I have a few To do
@@alainrouthier7264 ua-cam.com/video/wzQlApAqaNs/v-deo.html
these are some absolutely beautiful pieces ever seen, thanks for sharing!!!
These are beautiful and something I imagine as a single dad I could never afford. It is so amazing watching you work. I really enjoy it.
I am glad that you enjoyed the video. This material is incredible!
That was a spectacular showing of those opal stones , might have to look at this video a few times to realize what I’m looking at 👍🏽💕
Gow does the treatment change it
Wow! Amazing pieces..nice job treating those beautiful pieces of Opal..
Have been using all my data on watching craftsman like this,can't stop watching, absolutely beautiful,wish I was young enough to learn this,I'm retired so can only drool,thanks for sharing👍👌🍺
You can do this! That your retired means you can devote more time to it. Go for it! You could buy the equipment on eBay.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful ! I so love this one! Thanks so much!
WOW! TREATING IT MADE THOSE COLORS POP! SO GORGEOUS
I came down here to make sure that it wasn't uploaded on April 1st. This is unbelievable!
Wow, those are spectacular. This just showed up in my recommendations, glad I clicked on it. Going to have to check this channel out.
I’ve just begun to make jewelry, & have always loved opal! What a great find you’ve made!
I'm so glad you commented on whether glassiness affects treatment! I was really concerning because I put a finish polish on half my carvings before starting the treatment. I hope mine come out as well as yours.!
Personally, andamooka is my totally fav and I've worked with all kinds of opal!
Those stones were as nice as I would want good job 👍
I just love that blue green one!
Each opal , A small Galaxy of colors and unique design. Thanks dude.
Oh, this is such a treat! I'm learning so much. Thank you. And I agree it would make a lovely drop pendant.
We both think andamooka is the best lol. And it hadn't occurred to me that I could do touch up on my pieces after treatment and then re treat it. Thank you so much for sharing your obsession ! Lol
Thank you for sharing!! (Your channel is my favorite on UA-cam) I appreciate the effort because you could have kept all that beauty to yourself!
Not sure what you mean about keeping the beauty, but ... thanks for the nice compliments, Amy!
Absolutely beautiful! I didn't even know I wanted to watch opal videos but as usual youtube knows me better than i know myself😅😂 #Subscribed
@@PulitzerOpal Don't worry it does it to everyone😅 UA-cam are seriously slacking with the app maintenance it seems.. keep up the fantastic work!!❤
Lol! 😂👍😎
Lol! 😂👍😎
I agree that is my favorite as well, what a beauty. Thank you for teaching about treating and what matrix opal is
When you talk about soaking the opal in the warm sulfuric acid and sugar, I always think of an experiment I saw as a kid in high school. My chemistry teacher placed sugar and sulfuric acid in a large beaker. The sugar reacts with the sulfuric acid and is dehydrated by the sulfuric acid leaving only the carbon in the sugar. :)
Your channel is so underrated! Really quality content in your videos
Pulitzer Opal not kidding you. This is one of the best recommendations UA-cam has given me. It’s nice to learn something new everyday. Keep it up 👍🏻👍🏻
Wow! What a difference! The gem matrix transformed into a rainbow of beautiful bold color! It resembles Black Opal, because of the dark background with the color splattering. Your favorite one with the red splattering in the center of your newly created cabochon is stunning! I liked the treatment process did to your raw stones! Thank you for sharing!
They look really great treated thanks for sharing
I am back watching this video again and being astonished all over again. BTW...I love your voice and how you express your thoughts, very engaging. 👌🥰
I went back in time to watch this. Wow the treatment is spectacular. Thanks for the knowledge.
@@PulitzerOpal a peek here, a peek there. You just never know when I'll pop up!
I enjoy your videos very much. You do good work and your narration is knowledgeable and insightful. Thanks!
Unbelievably Beautiful...colors are so vibrant
Wow!! Beautiful! Thank you for the lesson. You have created an opal lover!!!
I absolutely adore opal. I have collected dozens of labradorite specimens, time to collect opal!!!
These pieces are so breathtaking! This stone just does something to my imagination! I So love it! It is so beautiful!
I am having settings made for some of them now. I may do a short video once I get them back from the jeweler!
Those are some of the most beautiful Stones I've ever seen great great work
Never once looked at a gemstone and thought "wow, that looks great, I wish I had a stone like that"
I have changed my mind.
I don't know much about opals except that it is beautiful. I really like your opals, well before and after treatment. Thanks for the video
Wow! What an amazing transformation. I am going to look up the process and try to understand how the sugar and acid change these stones chemically!
very nice, I used to polish stones with my grandfather years ago, it was such a wonderful treat to work with him and learn about rock and life. I would not be the man I am without spending time with a great wise one and his rocks.
I am in California and owned a sea glass company during the second decade of the new century. A customer of mine from Australia sent me four black treated Andamooka. They aren’t the highest quality and each stone is around two inches but they DO have a bit of flash in each and are lovely to look at. I will keep them, no matter! ❤
I love you videos as you can see from all the comments I’m currently having a Pulitzer video marathon !!!
Matrix opals turn out so much better after treatment that one would want to hold them for as long as it takes. A class of its own! 👉😔
I had an untreated Andamooka gem ring once . Was sooo beautiful, clear with floating green & blue colors.
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, thanks for sharing!💗
Amazing what a beautiful opal and you and your words
I love opal stones.
Holy cow! That is absolutely stunning
My goodness. Opals were always my favorite stone, just visually stunning, but those are out of this world. Just beautiful.
I agree, Cy -- these are special.
That king stone turned out really bold, that's one of the nicer color gradients I've seen in a stone. That would make quite the ring stone. You should try carving some of the treated material to expose the lighter color gradient below, like a cameo but with an active background full of color.
Well, RH, I don't do much carving, but it would be nice to do that. The red/blue-green is ......well, it would be a huge ring!
Best opal video I've seen on UA-cam so far...
The flash looks like jig-saw pieces.
That Opal is unbelievable.
Good job on the video.
Thanks Daniel! Jig saw pieces ..... I like that!
Stunning colours, absolutely beautiful!!
Man, imagine the stuff I don't know about!! WOW!! This is really, hands down, the most beautiful stones of ANY kind I've ever seen... I don't know anything about all this, but I do understand beauty when I see it. Those are just gorgeous.... what a cool thing to own/do for a living!!
Love your personality, great way to educate me here in America, beautiful.
Heats off sir! You are pure genius.
Wow, that turned out incredible!
I have a bottle of Opal rough that my dad bought 45 years ago. There are 2 great pieces among many less quality pieces. I have worked 3 stones up and gotten good results. I am planning to work the rest of the bottle before I get going on the best pieces? I dearly live Opal but I won't likely be able to afford purchasing more after my stash is gone, I just wish it were a more affordable gemstone! So unique and beautiful! Thanks for sharing your passion!
I just like the way he explains,thanks dear
This is the first video of yours that I watched. I loved it then, love it still.
Wow!!! Love the gorgeous gems!!! Amazing!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Colonel,
In a UA-cam video I watched last year, I had heard a certain Opal cutters dad or partner, I can’t remember which, liked to cut and polish their gem matrix before treatment as treating first only gets so deep and rubs away while being cut. As you found out in this video.
But I agree, that gem matrix produced some spectacular color. Thank you for the content sir.
I have about 10 years before retiring. This is what I plan on doing. Thank you for inspiring me.
@@PulitzerOpal This is GREAT info! I've already started looking for a mid-range 5 wheel and saw. The only thing is, if you dont know the terms, you don't know what to search for. "Black Opal Direct" has small parcels (cheap) that I can train and develop the skills needed. But, THANK YOU so much for taking the time to do these vids and share your knowledge!
Thats something i didnt know about the "treatment". Im sure you know about triplets. It makes sense that if you can blacken the "anti" matrix black that it would look so beautiful and absorb the light like so. Ive made a few triplets with quartz on top and black backing but that "treatment" is awesome! Ill have to ponder on the chemistry there. The hydrous nature of opal and "burnt" sugar seems to work. Crazy but lovely! Thanks for posting that info. So intriguing and beautiful.
I bet everybody just wishes they could dive right into them and swim around in there colours
You can. Because I have. And its a beautiful 15 minutes.
That's a lovely idea. Nice one😎
In where colors?
Thats the point!
Absolutely beautiful! Awesome video Don can't wait for the next one.
I Love the colors. WoW the difference in the colors is amazing. Yes the treatment you did brought out the intense colors that brought out so much beauty of the piece!❤ Thank you for sharing
When matrix opal treats very well, it looks really good. This special "gem" matrix turned out better than "really good!" Thanks for the comment!
Ha! Black crystal opal is finest wherever it's found. I'm a Virgin Valley Nevada opal miner whose finds include a 7 inch fossil branch opal, black opals and amazing clear crystal opals. Incredible large opals are relatively common to find in the tractor scoops of dirt we can buy from the mine but they're usually better to display in the opal domes sold in the area. Besides almost everyone finding opals, there is also a free camp ground next to a large warm spring pool that is a great place to swim and party with friends.
Spectacular channel! Congrats
Absolutely STUNNING
This video was awesome!
I love your voice it's so soothing
Wow...beautiful. You hit the jackpot with that lot.
Well I learned I like the rough lines the matrix opal more,it reminds me of snowflakes I love so much . Thank you for this video🙏☃️
Donald that was a wonderfully comprehensive video! Very informative and great footage :3 Merry Christmas and a happy new year! :)
Those are all gorgeous, but that King stone is absolutely breathtaking.
I love that beautiful black opal...the color contrast is amazing. Pale opal is a different experience. And that green against the black is a show stopper.
Enjoyed and thumbs up! Happy Holidays!!!!
Wooooow!!! What a great surprise!! Beautiful!! 😍. The one you chose to cut, your favorite. I would want it set in a setting that would show both sides because both are so beautiful.
excellent work! you are correct on not finding words to describe. thank you for sharing!!!
I am amazed by the beauty of these stones.
Great looking Opal right there! I love that stuff!
Wow, absolutely stunning!
That noise was my chin hitting the keyboard - beautiful, beautiful stones...
I can never get enough of opals all of them are so unique and gorgeous.. I wish i can own one, one day
Oooo wow! Stunning transformation! Thanks so much for sharing! 😍
Pulitzer Opal 😆, yea I think that thing called algorithm pushed you in all our feeds. I’m sure glad it did.
I think I might of found a Opal bracelet today. It’s got a clear resin over it with purple tint. So pretty! 😍
Just beautiful my friend. Wow!
Loooooove opals. My birthstone. Awesome video
Love the channel I am an amateur opal cutter and professional fanatic! Hands down opal is the most beautiful stone. Opal makes diamond look like a hunk of coal
@@PulitzerOpal ..thanks i could use some info on where to purchace some good rough if you have any suggestions
It's very interesting to see what a difference the treatment makes but I still love the natural better, opals are my favourite stone too. My uncle and grandfather were prospectors so I grew up with opals. Thanks for your videos
That triangle is beautiful!!! 💖😊