Welcome to opalholicsanonymous.com where opal season lasts forever.

Please note that I said nothing about the right way in the heading. I had never cut or carved opal of any kind before I started on these that were given to me by gingerkid. I did not do any research on what they should look like (shape/form) because I wanted to be different but I did read some information on how to cut and polish opal that was sent to me by gingerkid. Did I mention that that lady is very generous with her materials and time.

After cutting and polishing to 5000 (which is where I am now) I looked up photos of finished opal. Nothing new, hahaha, mine are pretty much just like a lot of other opals.
Jim

Oval. Just about whatever color you want if you turn it the right way.








Heart front and back rough.


In the process

End result



Mountain range, kinda. Front and top are natural fractured stone.


Top

Front

Back


Grooved





Boat???



Random, some repeats and some other small ones.

That is pretty darn good for someones first attempts. Keep it up just gets easier with time.

Your welos look beautiful, wampidy, and your welo heart makes one's heart pitter patter.

Your photographs are outstanding, too!

Rockranger wrote:That is pretty darn good for someones first attempts. Keep it up just gets easier with time.

I agree with you, RR!

Welcome to our forum wampidy!

That's what I like about Welo opal, you can actually polish them from start to finish by hand with common abrasives available at the local hardware store
Great job!!

They're lovely wampidy, and I often start opals by hand even though I have equipment now. My first opal was for a contest I was invited to try my hand at, and that one, and the first one gingie cut were done using nail salon tools.

Nail salon tools? Oh that just won't do, what would the opal snobs say??
Hahaha.
Sorry for the sarcasm, but I sincerely think that no matter how you create a beautiful gem, that it is special, and has a little bit of you, and your creativity in it.

All of my equipment is home made, and I urge anyone who is new to the hobby to not be intimidated by the cost to start cutting, and think of creative ways to cut, or make their own gear.

I just love seeing all that crazy home brew gear from India and Thailand where they use car wheel bearing assemblies to cut their stones, ingenious!

Keep on cutting wampidy, there are a ton of friendly and knowledgeable people here on this form that want you to succeed, just ask if you have a question!
Chris

oooooOOOOOOoooo Purdies!!

Very nice opal rough you started with. And some nice work on working them..now yer hooked...

Good eye.