We’re off on an opal buying trip to Lightning Ridge! Watch as we dance, skip, and crawl our way out west. Lightning Ridge is a long way from any of Australia’s beautiful coastlines. Separated by t...
We have a beaut’ rough white opal this week that boasts an easy cut and a dazzling gem. Lightning Ridge is famous for the glorious black opal, but have you met its lighter cousin? Starting at a ch...
Some days opal humbles you, and other days a humble nobby opal turns into something magical. We’ve been locked down here again in Queensland, so to keep the state safe, I’ve decided to spend all m...
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 ...