Opal Nobby Number 2

The number 2 nobby was Justin’s pick of the entire bunch. There is great hope for this particular nobby, it has an exceptionally thick color bar compared to most. To take advantage of how thick this color bar is, there may be some slicing involved, but you’ll have to watch to find out!

Justin’s Pick — hooray or nay?

This particular nobby opal is found in shallow ground and may not have been mined the traditional way. Traditionally, the miner would dig a 3ft hole and down you go. For shallow opal mining, they create trenches. Firstly you strip the top layer of dirt off the surface. And they continue to strip each layer until you reach the opal bearing level. Once this layer is stripped it will then be washed to find the opals.

This type of mining can be quite costly and the more dirt you move the more it costs. To overcome this, the miner will set up an auger and drill 9-inch test holes across their claim. This will help locate potch and/or color, which will generally lead to a patch of opal. Drilling in the direction of the opal can help save time and money in the stripping of the dirt.

The Final Gem/s

Keen to see the finished gem or gems? Look below