Phenomenal Gems Archives - Black Opal Direct

Posted on 12/10/202012/10/2020 by Melinda Bond — Leave a comment

I carved an opal Emoji gem!

Carving an opal Emoji Gem from black opal and crystal opal

From gory nightmares to Tik Tok dances, let’s get ridiculous in this week’s video while carving a silly opal Emoji gem. I’ve done a lot of things in my opal cutting career; cut gems worth more than my car, dug deep for color, traversed mine shafts, moved my family to the outback, handled gems worth more than my house, and have met so many incredible people. What I can tell you, though, is that I have never done this before. If you like my videos, chances are you’re a bit like me; you love to try new things, are a little left field, and love to explore topics or skills with an…

Posted on 15/09/202015/09/2020 by Justin Thomas — Leave a comment

A tribute to my father

A friend approached me recently and asked to see some pictures of an opal my father cut when he was alive. While it’s hard for me to talk about, I wanted to share with you this tribute to my father, and the greatest cutter I ever knew; Jurgen. My father was my mentor for everything in life, and he taught me everything I know about opal. I loved him so much, and I miss his presence in my life daily. A flood of memories come back to me when I think a lot about our times together in the opal industry. His passion and artistic talent were so much greater…

Posted on 27/07/202027/07/2020 by Melinda Bond — Leave a comment

Script Pattern in an Unreal Gem

Seeing rare Script Pattern unearthed from a rough opal piece is not what I expected from our last YouTube Live. I’m sure you could tell, from the amount of adrenaline you could hear in my shaky voice, as I uncovered a real gem in front of your eyes. Script Pattern, formerly known as Chinese Writing, is a rare pattern that looks like language carved in stone. We love the idea that aliens have cut something into this unique gem, attempting to send us a message from another galaxy. What are they trying to tell us? Are they admiring my bald head? I kind of feel like the chosen one. Whatever they…