Buying Opal Rough

Buying and selling of general items

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SalvorHardin
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:50 am

Buying Opal Rough

Post by SalvorHardin »

Hello everyone,

I'm interested in buying, but also discussing prices. Find attached my spreadsheet with what I purchased in the past. It's mostly potch and color, low grade, but I can still find my way to make some good looking things here and there...
Wondering if you could comment on the price per carat I scored, and if you have any better options that facebook auctions/publicly listed seller on google.

I am willing to buy more, but I'm not sure about prices and need guidance from decent individuals :lol: (This forum seems like a safe place to open up :roll: )
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SwordfishMining
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Location: Denio, NV USA
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Re: Buying Opal Rough

Post by SwordfishMining »

Hiya. I dont even have a spreadsheet for what I sell let alone bought. Might help. Im at dollar a gram lowest grade, 5 a gram you want to start cutting 30 a gram for why do you charge so much and the stuff that compared to the best; I am forced to cut myself and sell as finished jewelry to get what black opal is worth after all the crooks & competition pooped in the punchbowl with lies. The opals in woods are about a tenth due to the matrix weights to precious content. Stabilized with epoxy or CA they are as tough as boulder opals....if the wood is not a closed cell replacement that does not treat with my current method. Uncured wet opal is not gem rough. Gem rough can be in water. Virgin Valley gem rough is never rehydrated.
The solid blacks and best ill cut myself as i can never get close to what dry black rough is worth or enough to make categories. I like to pick from trays or parcels in person so the price is usually a buck a gram for Coober Pedy, shell patch, white cliffs low grade depending on the dealers current stock. There was a LOT mined and sold that has been waiting to be resold since then and up to now. The prices are usually set at buying and left at that until sold out as the stock is picked over over time as the price naturally rises. Hard to find a stone in whites under 2-3 a gram for better looking stuff to 3500 a baby food jar for LR chips at one booth and he does it yearly. Also had a barrel of gamble for 1$ a gm by the scoop. He let me pick out some crazy ones for the buck a gram for examples of crazing Lightning Ridge.
I guess what you are really looking for is the biggest multiple on resale and that comes from graded singles or parcels I think. I've had mixed luck bottom fishing off EBAY. You get what you pay for as a rule. Village Smitty is widely respected for their prices and quality as are innumerable miners and dealers in Australia. The current bargain rough is Ethiopian and i bought some from the Facebook group while i was there as they talk about their dealers.
I'll jump over my shadow. https://www.virginvalleyopal.com"
Opals & more at my ESTY store https://swordfishmining.etsy.com"
SalvorHardin
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:50 am

Re: Buying Opal Rough

Post by SalvorHardin »

Thanks for this detailled answer! I think that so far I have been very lucky then

Look at this 0.2$ per carat slice I did this afternoon from Village smithy :lol:
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SalvorHardin
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:50 am

Re: Buying Opal Rough

Post by SalvorHardin »

Screenshot 2020-07-12 at 12.25.46 AM.png
Photos don't do it justice honestly, this thing got me staring for an hour... It's dream stuff, I'm a novice but I've been baffled when I saw the result of the slice.................. Cut in the shower with the shitty micromotor, it's a crime.
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Buying Opal Rough

Post by PinkDiamond »

LOL! It may be a crime but the 'vandal' did a good job with it, and you've got some great color in there. Nice going Alex! :)
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


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SwordfishMining
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Re: Buying Opal Rough

Post by SwordfishMining »

That one was a winner. They hide in the low grade as it is really hard to judge what will be cut out of something that isnt skin to skin
I'll jump over my shadow. https://www.virginvalleyopal.com"
Opals & more at my ESTY store https://swordfishmining.etsy.com"
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