Rough Lesson

What is it about rough opal pieces that gets my heart racing? Is it the uncertainty of what’s inside or the thrill of the reveal?

Well, it is all of the above and more, but sometimes your challenges become a rough lesson (pardon the pun) and not everything is what it seems.

This particular nobby is from Lightning Ridge (surprise!) — it shows all the good signs of a Lightning Ridge nobby too — some potch, some sand, a nice color bar running through it and a white cap to top it off — but what lurks below the surface?

We take a deep dive into this piece of rough opal on the wheel — and it’s definitely a plunge into icy cold water with some rapid decision making as we go — does it end in success? Well, it’s not a complete disaster but one would say a rough lesson indeed…

The Final Gem

We ended up with a stunning little Crystal Opal coming in at 1.78 carats sitting at a body tone of an N5 with a brightness of a 3. A beautiful orange and green broad flash of color, which is the cherry on top as these two colors together make for an optimal and valuable color combination and that is exactly what we are always chasing. Find this little beauty on our website (here)!