Welcome to opalholicsanonymous.com where opal season lasts forever.

After months without inspiration to start anything new, 2018 seems to start well.
Just takes a bit as I cut outdoors and in the moment the weather is certainly not inviting.

Somehow around New Year, I got Elephant into my mind and it stuck with me for a few days, so I started a freehand piece just to see where it would go.
ppeleph 1 plu 2 by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr
One kept breaking off, but the Slag from England held up.
ppbest by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr
No tusks yet. Will wait for that till the next two catch up.

Up next, a bit better planed (lets see if that helps). One in Chinese nephrite, where I hope the rind will give me a two-tone effect, and an Australian Black Jade (a material that has been kind to me).
Jade project by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr

Early release from school today allowed for a little session to start cutting the elephants.
Australian jade needs recessing lower parts of the ears and then find a way to optically fit onset of tusks.
I think, overall shape of ears and head should be ok for the time being.
Australian Jade rough cut by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr

The Chinese nephrite is a bit more trickier. Trying to use the red/orange tone from the rind. So started testing viability on the ears. Will have to thin it out, but again, I think it could work.
Chinese Nephrite rough cut by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr

Thanks for looking, Kurt

The white and red nephrite looks great! I hope it holds up as you complete the carving.

Wow, Kurt, I love it when ideas like that cross your mind! The slag one is gorgeous with it's colors and shadings, and the Chinese nephrite will be another winner for that reason, too, if it holds together. The black jade is beautiful, but is just too monocolor to catch the eye like the others. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they all turn out. Thanks for sharing them with us, and nice going!

Easy part is done, now to sanding and polish.

Kainzer Kurt by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr

tricky to get to the left onset of the trunk, so not done yet

Kainzer Kurt by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr

Looks great as such, but I worry that the cuts might be too shallow to give definition to a polished piece.
Might just leave the head and trunk unpolished after cleaning up. Legs and foot will be done in a couple of days.

Next weekend then the tusks. I'm thinking Qrrums moonstone for the black one, and dont knoiw yet what to use for the Chinese nephrite to stand out. Maybe some leftover black jade, but that thing is hard to polish as it is so danged small.

What do you plan on doing for eyes? I was thinking brown chrysoberyl cat's eye cabs might look appropriate. You can often find them in mixed melee sizes fairly inexpensively.

rocks2dust wrote:What do you plan on doing for eyes? I was thinking brown chrysoberyl cat's eye cabs might look appropriate. You can often find them in mixed melee sizes fairly inexpensively.

Have begun looking into pietersite scraps for eyes, but those things need to be so danged small. Failed to produce anything viable up to now.

I had some from India that were 2.5mm-3mm irregular rounds. I expect these are still being sold online, though even that small may still be too big for your project. I got my chrysoberyl "eyes" in a lot off ebay or some similar online site, then sold off the extras for which I had no use for about what I paid for the lot, so nearly free in my case Tiny stones can be a headache to shape and polish. A couple of brown melee diamonds might also work if you want some sparkle. I'm sure whatever you choose will turn out fine - looking forward to seeing the final finished piece!

First one done....
Chinese Nephrite by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr

Different angles and backgrounds.
Chinese Nephrite by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr

With a bit of luck, second one to follow tomorrow.

And naturally, had to have a mishap
Misshap by Kainzer Kurt, on Flickr

of all things, it always seems to happen while sanding by hand.....

Love the color contrast.

Oh my, that's a real show stopper, Kurt. Beautiful! I love the tusks, but they resemble twisted wire, so I have to ask, what are they, and how did you attach them?

That one's a winner, but I'm sorry to see the other piece broke. It's shocking that things like that would happen during hand polishing, since we expect problems to arise from hard cutting, not polishing. That's a real bummer, but I'm sure you'll figure out a way to salvage it, and re-purpose it for something else.