Opal chat time! Let’s change it up and dive deep into everything you’ve wanted to know about opal this week. A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to do a Zoom call with the Brantford Lapidary and ...
This high-risk rough opal piece sent me for a wild ride, and the biggest challenge I’ve had in a long time! I got lured in by the gorgeous 5-millimetre color bar, hooked on a challenge, and then ...
What’s it like to hold one of the rarest opals in the world in your hands? Meet the Southern Cross opal. Walking into my workshop, it’s a day like any other. I’m ready to cut and ready to give my ...
Australian opal patterns can be tricky to learn; no two opals are ever the same! This glorious Australian gemstone doesn’t like to make it easy for us, but there are a few skills to identifying pat...
When I realised I lost money on this $8K rough opal piece, I only had one choice. I could throw a tantrum or I could salvage the best and learn from the rest. I like to show you all sides of opal c...
This monster black opal rough had me shaking worse than a triple shot latte! I think you’ll love how this gem turned out.This week we’ve got a monster black opal nobby that looks like it’s full of ...
Watch as I cut a $25K gem entirely by hand and see the magic that unfolds!Cutting an opal without using dop sticks is a tricky skill for a cutter to learn. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of mini...
There’s no day quite as lovely as one that ends in a $20K gem black opal sitting on my workshop bench. Watch as a gorgeous gem emerges from a sand-filled piece of rough right in front of our eyes.I...
What’s better than one opal nobby? A gem opal cluster! I was so excited to get my hands on this gem opal cluster; a beautiful mess of nobby opal from Lightning Ridge that has been taken hostage by ...