Black Opal Treasure
In this video, I embark on the quest to uncover a hidden Black Opal Treasure within what appears to be an ordinary 50-carat uncut gem.I … Read more
Broken Nobby
Finding a broken nobby is like finding one earring, it’s nice but so much better to have the pair.Did I end up with the better … Read more
Win, Lose or Draw
Win, Lose or Draw — Welcome to the World of Opal!Even after decades of buying and cutting opal, I can still get it really wrong.But … Read more
Young Guns Opal Hunters
Jaymin Sullivan of the Young Guns Opal Hunters (from the Outback Opal Hunters) happened to drop by my workshop.With him, he brought one of the … Read more
Opal Nobby Number 1
Opal Nobby number 1 has the potential to cut a nice gem.It shows that rare red-blue color across the nobby, however, the sand is going … Read more
Is Bigger Better?
The age-old question is, is bigger better?Sometimes the larger pieces of rough opal aren’t as straightforward as one thinks.A lot of thought goes into the … Read more
Saxon’s Going In!
Father and son are at it again, this time Saxon is learning to cut colored rough.Saxon’s last learning session saw him cutting and polishing a … Read more
Like father, like son
Having the ability to share my time and knowledge with my son is such a gift.I did the same thing with my father around a … Read more
Andamooka Seam Opal
This particular rough opal was sold to me as a piece of Coober Pedy, but it’s actually Andamooka Seam Opal.With two color bars showing, I … Read more
Opalized Fossil
When an opalized fossil has a beautiful gem color, is it worth cutting?Let’s evaluate this Skin Shell opalized fossil I have to see if it’s … Read more
Hand polishing opal without machines
Hand polishing opal without machines is simpler than you might think; with some sandpaper, a knife hone, a piece of leather, and a bit of … Read more
Cutting a witches hat nobby opal
What is a witches hat nobby and how do I cut one? We’ll have to flip our thinking for this challenge. In this video, you’ll … Read more
