Learn to Cut

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 is simpler than you might think; with some sandpaper, a knife hone, a piece of leather, and a bit of … Read more

Cutting small gems can be an intimidating task if you’ve never done it before. It is a little more fiddly than cutting a larger gem … Read more

Today, I’m taking it back to opal cutting basics with this tutorial on everything you need to know to get started! You might recognise today’s … Read more

Our world is locked down and for many, that means spending more and more time at home. If you’ve got some spare time on your … Read more

Is it better to cut opal into common shapes or to cut for carats? Can cutting unconventional shapes work? I get asked this question a … Read more

What do you need to start cutting opal? Join us this week as Justin takes us on an opal cutting workshop tour! We get asked … Read more

Last week on Facebook, we mentioned this amazing piece we were going to do a carving opal video on. Here is the video showing Justin … Read more

There are a few rules to follow when changing a lapidary wheel on your machine but it’s not as hard as you might think! In … Read more