There isn’t a week that goes by without me performing a risky opal cut. The risk of the unknown can be daunting with every new piece of rough I take to the wheel. Sometimes it works out and sometim...
Allawah Opal can be a little tricky to cut, especially deciphering which way to face the gem. The Allawah Opal field is known to produce spectacular Crystal Opals, let’s hope this one isn’t an exc...
A rough return isn’t something that happens very often. In this particular case, the customer wasn’t confident they could cut a decent gem out of it. Especially as this person cuts opal by hand rat...
This may look like a pork chop, but it is, in fact, a 300ct Seam Opal piece from Lightning Ridge. It looks like it may cut as white opal, however, I will investigate it further to see if crystal op...
A 100ct Nobby Opal, will it bring me obstacles or opportunities? A piece of rough this big can make for an exciting cut. Obstacles like sand patches of inclusions may occur preventing me from cutti...
This is without a doubt, the opal cut of the year! The nobby was presented to me on my last trip to Lightning Ridge for the asking price of AUD$2000. With the help of the Gemstone Flashlight, I was...
Could this Crystal Shell Fossil be the best Crystal Opal I have ever cut? It’s glassy, clear and super clean with an incredible 3D color on color. Is a fossil more valuable than an opal? In this ca...
This 40-year-old rough has been safely locked away until now. The time has come to cut this opal rough hailing from Coober Pedy. I feel very lucky to be able to cut this beautiful piece. Coober Pe...
Finding a broken nobby is like finding one earring, it’s nice but so much better to have the pair. Did I end up with the better half? Is the other piece bigger and better? What’s a Broken Nobby? S...