Thanks for joining us — this is a rough opal cut you will not forget
I spent two weeks observing this gem, drawing on it and planning the cut.
Will this Grawin rough seam opal help me produce the gem cut of the decade — stick around and find out!
When I first laid my eyes on this piece of rough opal I knew there was something special inside.
I could see flashes of incredible and promising color radiating through the sand.
This wasn’t a small investment and there are several risks that can arise once we get it on the wheel.
The finished number of carats this gem needs to be is a minimum of 4, plus it needs to be $8000 to $10,000 a carat to make a return on my investment.
Fingers and toes crossed folks!
To the slicer!
You never really know what you’ll find under the potch and sand, even with decades of experience I need to slow down and focus.
I knew I would have to slice the gem in places but cutting it in the right place is tricky and rather daunting.
I did change where I sliced the opal at the last minute and I do believe I made the right decision.
Firstly I’ll start on the smaller gem as a tester — making sure to use the fine grit wheel to not waste any good color.
So many beautiful colors begin to emerge, including some glorious red!
Next, onto the larger gem — let’s do a test the spot with the potch and see what it reveals.
After working on the gem for a while I can see an incredible cushion cut starting to emerge.
I have decided the best thing to do is to slice it again, will it pay off?
So much pressure now — with $8k per carat at stake and I’m losing colour with every grind.
Do we have a winner?
Count them — 1, 2 and 3 glorious gems cut from this one incredible piece of Black Opal rough.
Let’s kick it off with the gorgeous triangle shape from the first slice, weighing in at 2.58ct — find it here.
Secondly, the little drop shape weighing in at 1.36ct — find it here.
Lastly, the one you’ve been waiting for… the incredible cushion cut coming in at 8.36ct — find it here.
Some tough decisions made along the way but the outcome is spectacular!
I hope you enjoyed the video, it’s one we are all very proud of!
