Crystal and White Opal Archives

Posted on July 26, 2021March 6, 2022 by Melinda — Leave a comment

Cutting a white rough opal into a dazzling gem

We have a beaut’ rough white opal this week that boasts an easy cut and a dazzling gem. Lightning Ridge is famous for the glorious black opal, but have you met its lighter cousin? Starting at a chunky 32-carats, this rough white opal has the potential to birth a thick color bar. It’s no black opal, but don’t let that fool you! Lightning Ridge creates all kinds of opal, from black to white and dark to crystal. The infamous home of black opal is equally as notorious for being much more than meets the eye. I’m hoping that this rough white opal is more than meets my eye, but there’s…

Posted on June 14, 2021 by Melinda — Leave a comment

The Southern Cross opal is the rarest I’ve ever seen

The Rarest Opal Ever - The Southern Cross video by Black Opal Direct

What’s it like to hold one of the rarest opals in the world in your hands? Meet the Southern Cross opal. Walking into my workshop, it’s a day like any other. I’m ready to cut and ready to give my nutty antics while doing it. I wrap my apron around me and head over to the wheel to cut a piece of rough opal. With the click of my fingers and a nod of the head, I grind away dirt, hoping to reveal the gem inside. I hear a strange sound over the machine’s whirring hum, but when I stop, there doesn’t seem to be anyone here with me. Geez,…

Posted on November 30, 2020November 30, 2020 by Melinda — Leave a comment

Glowing Crystal Opal Pair

What’s better than a crystal opal with stunning pinfire pattern? A glowing crystal opal pair! One of the best, but sometimes heartbreaking, things about opal is that there will never be another exactly like it. This is one of the major drawcards to why someone would choose an opal; it’s as unique as you are. On the other hand, it means creating matching opal jewelry is about as hard as finding the socks your washing machine eats. Well, I’ve managed to find the missing sock a matching opal pair! (Still no sign of the sock). This week, I’ll show you how to cut a matching pair while keeping as much…