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...
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained is pretty much the motto of any opal cutter. The risk can become somewhat calculated over time, but you never really know what is happening inside that piece of rou...