A rough return isn’t something that happens very often.
In this particular case, the customer wasn’t confident they could cut a decent gem out of it.
Especially as this person cuts opal by hand rather than on a wheel.
I happily refunded the cost of the nobby and took it to my workshop.
Workshopping
Let’s get this to the wheel and see what we are dealing with after a little cleaning.
I made the decision to slice the top off and perhaps make another gem with that piece.
If I hadn’t sliced it I would have ended up grinding it all off to get to the color bar with potch.
The cut itself was quite seamless and I was able to face it nicely after slicing it.
The gem remained at a decent carat weight without losing too much color.
In conclusion, our nobby from Wyoming in Lightning Ridge cut a sizable 12.02ct Black Opal.
What started as a rough return, finished as a large polished gem opal with a $700 profit.
spoiler alert
12.02 ct black opal 17.2×11.6×9.2mm
https://youtu.be/Tfjc3u-YbnA?si=WonNU14w58TBzBF4
Out of stock
