This uncut gem has seemingly high potential but does it deliver?
Join Justin on another rough opal cutting rollercoaster ride — does it achieve a rainbow of color or does it derail?
Cutting an opal from rough always has it’s challenges — I often describe the uncut gem as a rollercoaster ride because of the enormity of the journey.
From identifying the potential in the rough piece of opal, to the cutting process and the challengers that lie within each decision made at the wheel, to then the final stage of polishing the gem to enhance the plethora of colour each glorious Opal has to offer.
This particular nobby is from my last trip out to Lightning Ridge — over a million years of history in these pieces of Opal, which still fascinates me daily.
I hope you enjoy watching the process through our videos as much as I love doing it and taking you on the journey with me.
The Final Cut
The final cut of this rough gem came down to a 1.75ct Dark Opal sitting around an N5 on the body tone scale and a brightness of B3 — with a beautiful Flagstone pattern of green, blue, red and orange. Our rollercoaster didn’t quite derail us because we ended up with a happy medium dome which would be the perfect size to create that ring you have been dreaming of.
