The only thing to do after opal cutting failure

Opal cutting failure, or failure of any kind, can feel like someone decided to bust out some WWE moves on your confidence.

Sometimes our expectations aren’t as good as reality, which can be a bit of a bummer. The wave of disappointment that follows can look like, oh I don’t know, laying in the foetal position and shoving chocolate covered pretzels into your mouth for the next hour.

Downing fistfuls of chocolate-covered anything feels oh-so-right at the time, but it doesn’t make you feel any better after. The only solution I’ve found to failure is to fling yourself back in the ring.

Two opals, one winner. Would you quit or keep trying?

That’s exactly what I want to show you today; how to get back in the game after opal cutting failure. I’ve got two Lightning Ridge nobby’s that both have very different outcomes.

Our first challenger for the day is a 8.39-carat nobby opal from the Wyoming Opal Field with nice color but also a lot of potch.

Our second, another nobby opal with a thick color bar.

You’re going to hear some stories about the kinds of opal found in Lightning Ridge, and I’ll explain why some nobby’s are better than others.

Two opals, one winner, and one bald headed man. Let’s go!

This weeks opals

The first stone hit my pocket with a strong left hook; I estimated this to be a $2000 stone but value this at $600. This 2.25-carat dark opal has nice color and flagstone pattern, but the low dome and copite needles aren’t doing me any favors.

The second stone came out at an even $1500 which I’m very happy with. This 2.23-carat double-sided crystal opal has a medium dome, clean color, and mesmerising 3D effect.

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