Welcome to opalholicsanonymous.com where opal season lasts forever.

Thanks for the reply’s. Great to see material from other sites. That Andamooka matrix looks good. There is a method that does not use acid now and it gives a darker background. Olive oil in vacume chamber. Wrap opal in Alum foil. Put in beach sand in small container and cook at around 250-300 •c for...

I found this deposit around 2 years ago in my region of Tamworth NSW Australia. The colour is caused by hematite and heaps of magnatite black base the poppies are jasper. Silica.

Thanks. It polished easily and needs no sealing. No pitting.I was told it could be oolite opal. It has little black and brown spheres in it.

Thank for the great comments. This jade was very hard. Easily 6.6 about as hard as nephrite gets. I used diamond paper on the smoothing stages. To slow with carbide sticks.

Hi I’m back. I think 2017 was the last time I was here. My latest jade carving in NZ Marsdan jade.

Hi it’s been many years since I have been here. I was recently given a piece of what I thought was Andamooka treated matrix opal but the stone has a natural dark background and the limestone- sandstone bade is very fine grain. Has had no treatment and polishes close to crystal with no sealing needed...

Thanks rocks2dust & PinkDiamond, this carving is the most challenging to date, the sanding process is very demanding, I will finish on 50 K diamond if I ever get there, some more pictures of early progress, I carved it like they do a wood chain.

Another picture

I have never carved a chain, jade would be the preferred gem to carve a chain but I have seen quite a few in jade and I was told it could not be done in rhodonite, still in one piece, its up to 1200 grit sanding now, picture on 400, so so slow this carving, it will eventually be a necklace with a re...