Cutting Opal Gems

[SwordfishMining]

One reason you dont see any stones from me is that fine as can be thing, not just make it so it works to prove it works thing. Ive done my best to just be piling up rough and letting it cure. There is no grades to just walk into this market tho. The Africans supply pretty much owned the volcanic look leaving me with all the fossils still.

[OpalSpectrum]

here something special

this single rough-rub is from diffrent mine in Lightning Ridge then the last lot
>>> small but high quality black

[PinkDiamond]

I love the way you do your videos and give us information as you go, and that's a gorgeous opal. Way to go OS!!

[OpalSpectrum]

thanks Pink
good to know that sombody likes this style/format of videos because most people want live commentary but I'm not the best lector and don't really have time to make voiceovers

[OpalSpectrum]

now I'm working on this stuff - light semi-crystal base from LR
*I had this material before form the Bushmen

**but I didn't have time to make the Cutting Session

[SwordfishMining]

Cool. I've been going thru an old jar of dirt Leah & I put away from a pocket. Mostly dirt and the opal is in fine runners, and thin faces like painted ladies but there are some nice pieces that come out with the shards that are the unique Precious Black Fire Opal. No question of the stability after all this time dry and not properly stored. I'm pretty sure for all the "methods" of drying. It's either good opal when it goes in or not and you cant tell until after it comes out alive or not. Everybody that poroposes a treatment with my opal I tell them they have to show me an over 75% cure rate with their opal first. Nobody has cracked the nut yet. Just gotten closer after decades of fixing cracked opals from all the other mines. Not every one obviously as there are differences from each mineral locality, but I'll wager there is no locality without crazy opal somewhere, level and miners that go for it.

[OpalSpectrum]

Merry Christmas

Best Wishes To All Opalholics

[SwordfishMining]

Merry Christmas back at you.

I have 80 acres next to this mine for sale. Found by a fee digger in a load at Rainbow Ridge in Virgin Valley NV.

[OpalSpectrum]

thanks *the star/snowflake piece is awesome - really unique

here better video of the last stone of the 2023

the fire is super bright with great BroadFlash but there is 2nd layer underneath with red-orange Pinfire which makes it even cooler, I mean hoter
*the red Pinfire was tempting but it doesn't have the same level of brightness and the stone would be too thin so grinding top layer would be a mistake



Happy New Year

More Opals Gems Carvings Jewelry Coming in 2024

[PinkDiamond]

That's a real beauty OS, and wonderful as the last opal of '23. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what you cut in '24, and Happy New Year to you, too.