Slow Opal

This category is the best place to discuss cutting opal.

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skywalker753
Posts: 339
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 2:52 pm

Slow Opal

Post by skywalker753 »

Here's what some of my Matrix Opal looks like just out of the cooker...
Hoping theres color!!!
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DarkFromCooker1.jpg
skywalker753
Posts: 339
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 2:52 pm

Re: Slow Opal

Post by skywalker753 »

and here is some, well, I call it "sugarloaf" cause sugars part of the process and I shaped it like a loaf of bread...lol...
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sugarloaf1.jpg
skywalker753
Posts: 339
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Re: Slow Opal

Post by skywalker753 »

And lastly, you here know the man who made this semi-famous...
Started life in a mine in Andamooka...
Went cross continent to Sydney...
Flew to the east coast of America...
Flew back to Sydney...
Flew to rural NY state....
and here is what I just call the Kite.

If anybody here didn't know, it was originally part of Pulitzer's Cannonball (youtube), and I got the matrix from Riley Gunn (53frogs) on OpalAuctions).
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Kite1.jpg
skywalker753
Posts: 339
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 2:52 pm

Re: Slow Opal

Post by skywalker753 »

...Still doing opal/matrix by hand.....but I think my fun meter has peaked...lol...
Well, ...I DO use a saw to slice them and then to get close to a preform...
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Slow Opal

Post by PinkDiamond »

Nice going sky. I only have one sugar-treated opal. Do you treat all your opals? Your shapes are well done so I hope you find all the color you hope to as you polish them. :)
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skywalker753
Posts: 339
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 2:52 pm

Re: Slow Opal

Post by skywalker753 »

Well, I don't treat the regular, solid opal in any way. Just cut, shape, sand, and polish them.
I DO treat the matrix opal I get. After I get it in the rough, its been treated once generally, and faced to show the color. But then I cut it to my size and shape, and sand and polish it and everywhere I did anything to it, its back to a quite light color. Not objectionable, just a light background body color. You can see the opal color but not very well. I do treat it then. I have not bought any matrix thats pasty white or cream color like just out of the mine. I should, but I don't have the miner contacts.
So, OK, Then after cooking its really dark (mimicing black opal) and needs final polishing, which I do (well as best I can), and then is when the color pops.
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SwordfishMining
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Re: Slow Opal

Post by SwordfishMining »

Nice. I got a few kilos myself. My major problem was i treated it enmass first to ensure the most efficent slabbing....except i cant see the surface thrur the carbon LOL. Heres one. I haven yet recooked them after final sanding which ought to make it really pop out of the blackest possible.
P1010939bb.jpg
P1010939bb.jpg (22.87 KiB) Viewed 10187 times

It was one of the few i cut when i was doing cutting contests.
I'll jump over my shadow. https://www.virginvalleyopal.com"
Opals & more at my ESTY store https://swordfishmining.etsy.com"
skywalker753
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Re: Slow Opal

Post by skywalker753 »

Hey, thats got some great color, I can see violet, green, yellow, orange,red,... and I know there's probably blue but somehow cameras can wipe that out.
Nice shape too.
skywalker753
Posts: 339
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 2:52 pm

Re: Slow Opal

Post by skywalker753 »

One last one for today, a regular solid opal, by hand again...

Another thing I've learned is DON'T use the same felt pad/cerium for both regular solid opals and matrix opals. The matrix opals stuff comes off on the pad and can put scratches in the subsequent regular solid opals. I now use a pad for matrix and a separate pad for regular solid opals....
'
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opal1.jpg
skywalker753
Posts: 339
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 2:52 pm

Re: Slow Opal

Post by skywalker753 »

Here is some green Andamooka matrix hot off the bench. Its been treated/carbonized once. Then I sliced it, and shaped it, and took it to 600 mesh. Ha Ha I said mesh!!! (my default is grit, just being humorous). So, its not polished, and will now need one more treatment/carbonizing to darken the host matrix and make the green pop. Then polish and done.
Note the side showing is much lighter than the face. The side is the host matrix natural color (well close to it) that I exposed by grinding/sanding. Both the face and the sides will darken a lot, becoming roughly the same color. Not black, but dark, like dark gray/dark brown.
I have a sneaky feeling that you all here already know all this stuff, so if its "old hat" to you please say so and I'll stop. Or if you have suggestions, please chime in!
The oddest tool I've used so far (that worked) is a round chain saw file, and a flat chainsaw file. Worked good for making a preform crescent moon shape. Sure, I'm embarrassed just a bit by that but ...
Attachments
GreenMatrix1.jpg
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