Welcome to opalholicsanonymous.com where opal season lasts forever.

Not bad John, and I can see some color in there. Not much, but there's definitely some visible now. I'm wondering how sky's project went because he's surely finished it 6 days later at the rate he goes, so I hope he shows us how they came out. That shape does lend itself to cutting a pair of pear shapes, so I'm glad you'll do yours like that too, but knowing you I don't suppose you'll stay in and continue to work on it again until another dust storm followed by rain blows through.

Nope going out digging right now again. LOL

I'm a little worried about sky since he was going like gang-busters, and asking people to try carbonizing opals, and you did so I was looking forward to his comments; but he suddenly seems to have fallen off the radar so I'm a bit concerned, and have to hope all is well with him. I sent him a PM days ago but it hasn't been picked up, so I sure hope he's alright.

Hey all-- Had a medical issue that has necessitated some time away from things I like, including here. Am recovering well, but it will be a few weeks probably until I can be back in the saddle so to speak. Hopefully! I better get to 100 percent, I got a pile of matrix opal and regular solid opal to get to gettin on! Hey Swordfish, nice to see you got a matrix opal project going... I know what its like to have a hundred things going and grabbing for your attention...
I got some very rough, Queensland fairy opal, thats supposedly high quality (does have reds) on the list to do. I don't know yet if thats an advertising comment "high quality", or an actual high quality, yet. Reputable dealer, but we'll see, as always! Its sitting here, yelling at me to start working on it....

Whoa, my spidey senses were right on that something was wrong, and I'm so sorry to hear your life was interrupted by a medical crisis, but I'm relieved that you're on the mend, and hope you get back to 100% ASAP. Thoughts and prayers are with you for a speedy recovery.

Hiya. Glad you made it back. Im stuck in trying to squeeze summer into fall as always LOL.
Been digging on a new place with lots of places to dig. Just whites so far & nothing to retire on, but that is most things. The summer diggers have all left and the last fee dig is closing next week. Im trying to get rid of the piles & i cant stop going out & getting more while i can. The knees are sure not liking me.
My friend I took out got a few oz of hard clear opal he wants to get faceted, at least the bigger ones. He gave me a few chunks to help motivate me to find a cutter I think, well he was thankful i took him out digging with us. To bribe the opal Gods you have to let everybody keep what they find, unless its real nice or like this quite unusual.
I get a bunch of "fire opal a few yards & feet in level away, but it usually is under 1/2 in instead of some chunks with over an inch of clean material inside going on 2, A little drying cracking when it dried in the bank on the edges of formation, but no further crazing since its been out & i've kept it exposed to air. Yahoo! not that we can get the GemTV prices of over $150 a ct due to the whole marketing thing & the lie of the curse: No Virgin Valley lasts without crazing that afflicts every opal according to the experts in the science of it all (ie expected lifespans of different fields was 80 years at the long end if I remember correctly) with exceptions of course and others that blow up before they can be sold after being cut. I always insist on my cut stones having been displayed out of baggie to make sure it withstands room humidity changes. I feel a mine to bag to cutting factory to finished into baggie, to the controlled climate of the jewelers is kinda never giving the stone a 6 months or more drying and testing until after its sold out the door into the dry world. But I digress. My matrix is on hold until the weather keeps me in Im afraid.

I was toying with slicing it up like this. Red lines. Scott thought i should just slice thru the thick one 4 times & make pendents then as i was sharing this, if i did that is do a set two thin slices with gold hooks for earrings & the big one drilled sideways for a statement center piece. It would only take one & the extra of the other 4 pendents I think. In any case its snowing now here and working on getting the yard in order. Good thing rock does not freeze much. The opal is getting proven LOL. Not so much precious that that stays outside in piles. Just all the tonnage of cute wood & rocks that come with them and the rest I collect for later.

the size
the layers cut it in half
the red side thats brighter
4 stones on the sides of the cavity. square or baroque, may be brightest
two big ovalish things from the back which presents bluer
rough wet
We got snow on the hills around the mining district from this storm.

Here is Pulitzer Opals video on treating matrix:

Hi all! I'm back to being able to do some opal again, so I am! My focus has changed a bit, doing about 50/50 regular solid opal and matrix/boulder opal.
I'd bought a machine, fired it up briefly, but.......long story short the realization hit me that I actually ENJOY doing opal by hand and not using any machine....lol..... Go figure! And, the boulder and matrix that I do now, I don't use the heat/oven method any more. Just as good results AND zero catastrophic explosions (or small pops and opal disintegration as those of you who have done heat treatment have no doubt experienced at least once!)

Welcome back skywalker! I'm delighted to see you've healed enough to be able to enjoy cutting opals again, and that's too funny about getting a lap and then realizing you like doing them by hand anyway. You definitely have more control over how much material you remove than with a lap since with some opals the color can be very thin and easily lost. I'm looking forward to seeing what you're cutting.