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...
We hit the road again and this time it’s straight to Opal Town! Lightning Ridge is one of my favorite places to visit. The town holds many sentimental memories of my dad and the time we spent worki...
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...
From little things, big things grow. This is such a great way to describe the journey of an opal. It begins with the hopes and dreams of the miner — the time and effort spent searching for somethin...
Petite & Perfect, is a synergy that works well in the opal jewelry world. We love all types of opal — shapes, sizes, colors and patterns, flaws and all! And contrary to the belief, bigger isn’t...