What is black opal worth? The body tone myth exposed
Are all black opals created equal? What is black opal worth? Are the darkest black opals worth more? Should I only buy N1 black opals? … Read more
Win this dark crystal opal!
*** COMPETITION NOW CLOSED *** Congratulations to the winner, we hope you love your opal! Thank you, everyone, for all of your beautiful entries. October … Read more
Cutting and pricing $30K of black opal
Cutting and pricing black opal can be a tricky task, it’s no wonder that it’s one of the most common questions we get! How do … Read more
Cutting opal mined in Lightning Ridge
Ever wanted to know what really goes into mining, finding, and cutting opal? In last week’s episode, we went underground in Lightning Ridge on the … Read more
Going Underground (Opal Mining in Lightning Ridge)
At first glance, Lightning Ridge is a charming small town situated on a vast and flat expanse of red dirt and native trees. What you … Read more
Hidden spots to find opal in Lightning Ridge
Nine hours west of New South Wales’ coastline is a town that consists of a few restaurants, a couple of pubs, and one surprisingly decked-out … Read more
Opal Stories
Justin and Melinda sit down to chat about the opal stories of some of our stock. You asked and we listened! In our last video … Read more
Romancing the Stone
On a cool, overcast winters day here on the Gold Coast, Justin takes us into his workshop and shows us the romance of opal. … Read more
A rough gem gets a makeover
Hey, hey, it’s cutting day! Watch Justin as he gives a rough gem makeover… how will it turn out? Assessing your options This week, … Read more
Justin’s Personal Opal Collection
Storytime! Let’s quiz Justin on some of the beautiful gemstones in his personal opal collection. Join us as Melinda (Black Opal Direct’s newest member!) … Read more
What is play of color in a gemstone?
What is ‘play of color’? Is it unique to opal? How can we tell? This week, Justin dives into what play of color … Read more
Which Opal Has the Better Gem?
This week Justin has some bad luck with a piece of nobby opal that looked promising but ended up a bit of fail! Then he … Read more
