Hello from Sweden

Write a few lines about who you are and where your from here!

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Khentesh
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:30 pm

Hello from Sweden

Post by Khentesh »

Hello everyone!

My name is Elin and I am a Swedish woman who has been in love with opals ever since I first saw one in a school book at age eleven when I was writing work on gemstones.

My favorite opal types are:

* Yowah
* Welo
* Koroit
* Boulder
* Gilson (synthetic)
* Aurora (synthetic)

I joined this forum mainly to ask for some help in assessing two of the opals I have bought, if that is permitted.


My interests besides opals are:

* Cats (especially Wedge siamese and Orientals)
* Pet snakes (Ball Pythons, Corn snakes and Boas)
* Creating art (sketching, painting, etc)
* Science:
* History, astronomy, anthropology, archeology,
paleontology, meteorology, biology, language, psychology
* Religions and faiths
* Cooking
* Writing

I have two cats, a Birman female named Lisa (soon eighteen years old) and a rescue named Maya (seven years old), and I also own a lovely completely white and blue eyed female Ball Python snake named Coconut.

I am a non Christian, but I am respectful of any faith, and I do not tolerate any slanderous behavior towards Christians.

I hope my stay here will be educative and interesting, and I am eager to get to know other opaloholics.


Cordially // Elin (Khentesh) Sejderuna
Last edited by Khentesh on Sun Mar 21, 2021 4:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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rocks2dust
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Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by rocks2dust »

Hello Elin!
You are welcome here. I look forward to seeing photos of your opals, even if opals are not my own specialty.
r2d

surplus odds and ends that I have on ebid.net
· Xtra gemstones
· Xcess fossils, minerals and rough
· Everything else
Khentesh
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:30 pm

Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by Khentesh »

Hi, RHD!

Thank you for your welcome!

Is it permitted to post links to the opals that I've bought?
I don't have the best camera on my phone.

The links go to Etsy and OpalAuctions.com, and there are videos and pictures there, as well as info on the gemstones.

// Elin
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by PinkDiamond »

Warmest welcome to the forum Elin. I apologize for being so busy I've had no time to reply since approving your messages, but things have settled down now so I can take some time to reply.

We love it when new opalholics join the group, and yes, you are welcome to post links to photos from anywhere. If you right click on the photos you want to post here, and choose Image Location, it will give you a link to the pic that you can paste between the Img brackets in a reply pane here, and that will embed the photos on the Board unless the source of the photos removes them, then they'll disappear. Alternatively you can right click on the pics and save them to your computer, and then upload them to the board via the attachments portal in a reply pane, and then they'll be here permanently.

Just an FYI, opalauctions.com was our original home, and we have members selling on Etsy so feel free post whatever pics you'd like to, and you may want to check out what our sellers have to offer.

I'm wondering, have you tried your hand at cutting opals yet, or are you just buying finished stones? Are you even interested in cutting opals yourself? Inquiring minds want to know. :lol:

I also love cats, and critters in general. My Himalayan Persian named Taz will be 15 this year on August 1, and I have a little ten pound MalShitz puppy named Shiloh who's 2½ now. I have groundhogs and possums that come to my deck for scraps I put out, and lately we're seeing a few bobcat family members. I walked out onto my deck yesterday looking over the edge to see what's coming up early in the garden, and when I got to the steps at the end of the deck I looked up and saw the younger bobcat walking up the hill not 50' away from me. He saw me but wasn't fazed and kept going, and sauntered over to a trailer he crawled under to get comfy in the shade, so now I know to look for him under there beforehand if I plan to take the dog outside.

My daughter used to be a snake person too, having quite a few varieties, but I was relieved when I got her to donate the 6' boa she had in a rabbit hutch in her room to Snakeworld because at that size such a 'cage' isn't secure at all, so it was dangerous. Thankfully she's into lizards now and chameleons, which I also love having had 2 chameleons, and a 4½' iguana that was over 5' long until he lost over 6" of his tail after it poked out of his cage, and went through the bars of one of the parrot's cages nearby that got bitten off. He didn't miss it though, and he fit in his cage better after that. :lol:

I'm also into cooking, having owned restaurants and being a bartender, but I prefer baking breads to cooking overall, and I make really good pizzas, too. You've got a lot of interests others here are also into so I'm delighted you shared what you did about yourself with us.

I hope you find information you can use here, and will ask questions if you don't. We will do our best to help you or point you to someone who can, and remember; there's no such thing as a silly question, and we've all asked our share of them in our own time. ;)

One caveat though. Nothing can be determined to be factual based on looking at photos. Gemstones need to be assessed in hand, but some pretty good guesses can be made that you might be able to have verified by a local jeweler who knows opals.

Again, warmest welcome to the forum, and thanks for sharing what you did. We look forward to getting to know you, and you getting to know us better. :D
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you. ;)
Khentesh
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:30 pm

Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by Khentesh »

Hello PinkDiamond and thank you for your warm and kind welcome!

You need not apologize for not being able to answer right away.
We all have lives outside of the internet, with important things we have to do.

I've not cut any genuine opals, but I have tried my hand at cutting and polishing synthetic Aurora opal, with a mediocre result that was good enough for me, but would probably give a lapidary professional nightmares.

The opals that I have bought are :

* Welo, 4,80 carats

* Yowah Boulder with purple see through windows on both sides, 27, 7 carats

*. Free-form Boulder Opal from Koroit, 66 carats

* Round two sided Boulder opal from Koroit 33,15 carats

* Arrow shaped two sided Yowah Boulder opal, 147,50 carats

* Squircle-shaped Boulder Opal from Koroit, 36,55 carats

I apologize for the pictures that are not in the same order as my description here.

I have two videos, one of the Welo, and the other of the purple opal.
Is it permitted to post links to the sites of Etsy and OpalAuctions.com, where one can view the opals and read the descriptions, or is it only permitted to post links to the pictures?

Many hugs to you from Elin
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by PinkDiamond »

Boulder opals are one type I haven't tried my hand at cutting, although I do have a few beauties I got decades ago. You're certainly welcome to post links to the source where you got them, so feel free. We look forward to seeing them, and if any videos are on youtube you only need to copy the actual number assigned to the video from just past the V= in the link, and paste it between the youtube brackets here. If you need help I'll be happy to give you further instructions, and if you ever want to reach me quickly try going to the chat room and leaving a message if I'm not actively chatting. If Resortdog is there he can also help you. He's a miner in Virgin Valley Nevada named John.

And a big hug back to you across the globe! Image

When you see the auroras fire up let me know so I know to tune in to the live cam at your end of the world. :)
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you. ;)
Khentesh
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:30 pm

Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by Khentesh »

Thank you so much for explaining this to me.
I am so excited and happy to be among others who have a true passion and interest for gemstones!

This link goes to the Welo opal.
https://www.etsy.com/se-en/listing/8676 ... ng_details

This one is for the purple opal
https://www.etsy.com/se-en/listing/9492 ... ng_details

This link takes you to the uneven shaped opal
https://www.opalauctions.com/auctions/6 ... 991-957158

This one goes to the round one
https://www.opalauctions.com/auctions/3 ... 334-986700

This link pertains to the arrow shaped opal
https://www.opalauctions.com/auctions/1 ... 972-863228

And finally, this one goes to the squirkle shaped opal.
https://www.opalauctions.com/auctions/3 ... 286-862058

What I am wondering is how rare opals like the purple one is, with its clear see through windows and awesome colour?
I've scoured the internet for opals like this one, but I've not found a single one.

I've only received the Welo opal, and I am eagerly waiting for them other gems to arrive.

I wish you and yours a lovely time of day or night depending on where you are in the world, and I hope that you are doing well and that you are staying safe in these difficult and trying times.

Many hugs to you from Elin
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by PinkDiamond »

You chose some fine opals, Elin, good job! That Welo is spectacular, and the boulder opals are gorgeous, and huge. Do you plan to make jewelry out of them, or do you have other plans for them? Congratulations on scoring such beauties. :!:
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you. ;)
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SwordfishMining
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Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by SwordfishMining »

Hiya, from Mr Jumpy. I'm in no way being arrogant or rude, just fast & true where I can help, or boomer the gemstone/my mining district wherever possible (other than how that's arrogant or rude from "my privileged life" for whatever mediocre rating that rates me). I dont even have a nice concise bio like you two. Thousands or words out there tho LOL. I like to consider myself a gentleman miner at this point in my life, but i doubt many would grant me that grace. My blog is in my signature.
Additional questions and discussion are not ghosted. Thanks for coming in.
On the boulder, purple is the most common start of play of color after the blue hue without flash. I have a bunch of them too. I collect a lot more than i ever show off or cut for the reason I'm busy getting more. You got some pretty ones. I like a pattern as i cant afford just color LOL. Yowah & the Queensland boulder opals get expensive when they are less frothy or cracks. I love the patterns in the Koroit. Those all look like pretty stones similar to the pendents i buy from Rod Griffith every year in Quartzsite, a claim owning Koroit miner, I didn't go this year, but I am next year again as I missed the Pow Wow, but the weather hammered them this year. I wire wrap them in GF or SS mostly as I never got to the carving or silver making. I have a Genie machine after i traded up from a Pixie, by Diamond Pacific.
That 4.8 ct Ethiopian is just what we are seeking here too, dead black preferred. Deserves a gold setting. The plume patterns like that are the best i think. Like a garden of color (Magnifica from the Opal Negra). NOT common and the backs look like honeycomb in the rough. We dont get it as much in the opal in wood we are famous for as the black nodules we a re even more famous for. It seems to be opal on the surface of included sulfide plumes. Inside and out as they are hollow balloon like intrusions. My friend Scott Ryals the Gem Dealer on ESTY, owner of the Opal Negra mine has a lot of well made ones in his store & he does custom work ballpark 100 in GF. He has sunstones etc & Virgin Valley ready to wear, besides everything i could sell from here. Special requests dont up set me much. No miner want to go searching thru everything for something special. Snow coming again in a couple days & i have to work on the vehicles.
PS, We miners do get a bunch of chunks & slabs when cutting that have opal windows thru them. The pattern & color can come from both sides, but usually one side is best. In the best, the color bars cant be seen thru unless back lit. When slicing rounds down a branch the patterns march usually
I'll jump over my shadow. https://www.virginvalleyopal.com"
Opals & more at my ESTY store https://swordfishmining.etsy.com"
Khentesh
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:30 pm

Re: Hello from Elin in Sweden

Post by Khentesh »

To Pink Diamond - - - > Wow, thank you so much!
I had the Welo set in silver (I only wear silver, as gold does not suit me) and I have an idea of a setting for the purple opal too, maybe with some small round Paraiba tourmalines as accent.
I was thinking of having a jeweler set the opal in a silver band so that it can be worn either way, or ask the jeweler to make a "cage" for it, following the natural lines of the ironstone.
I actually sketched a design in Photoshop for it.

The Welo has been set in a simple silver setting, nothing fancy, as I love clean and simple designs.

The large arrow-shaped opal and the 66 carat one will not be set in anything, as I intended for them to be worrystones.
You see, I suffer from severe anxiety attacks, general anxiety disorder and bouts of depression (for which I medicate and regularly see a professional psychologist and psychiatrist) and I found that holding something in my hand that is solid and smooth, preferably a stone, helps me calm down and ground myself.
When I was around seven years old, I found a beautiful oval striped and smooth pebble, which I took home, and have had ever since, but I found I needed something extraordinary to focus upon, and since I love opals, I decided to get some that I could use for this purpose.
The anxiety within me is based on a fear of the future, of losing my job, home, pets, loved ones etc, and I thought I needed something that could teach me patience.
Since opals are millions of years old, and their beauty only shows after such a long time, I thought it was fitting for me to get a couple to help me see that things can get better and brighter even if I can't see it when I am feeling anxious or depressed.
Also, focusing on the beautiful lines of rainbow lightning and holding this age old gemstone, would help me feel more rooted in reality.

The round one and the squirkly one, I am still pondering about, maybe a ring (the squirkle) and a two sided side drilled pendant (the round).


To Mr Jumpy - - - >
Hello and thank you for your welcome and for your thoughts and comments on the opals, and also...
WOW! You're a real opal miner, that's so awesome!

I'm very new to the lapidary world, and I love to learn new things, and there are so many things that I want to ask.
Not because I think I will ever do it myself, but because it is so interesting, educative and enriching to hear about.
Also, it makes my understanding of the world grow, and helps me understand what opal miners really do and what you go through.

Many hugs and greetings to you and to Pink Diamond!
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