What do you think of this opal??
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 5:28 pm
Hi all,
As I've been cutting away at boulder opals for my pendants, I thought maybe I should think about the value of just the stones alone before I add them to my creations, but even after all these years, I'm no further ahead at valuing an opal than when I started...lol.
Please take a look at this stone, it's dry, and the finished polish has been completed, although I still have to pretty up the back of the stone some more before I set it in wire wrap.
As with most boulders, the face is not perfect, and it is actually more of a carving, as it follows the natural contours of the original stone. It's impossible to get rid of all the pits and weird features in a boulder without treating it somehow or filling it, which I don't do.
It has some nice directional fire as it is turned in the light, video would be nice, but I'm still working on that...lol. I think it's a little bit more sparkly and bright than the pics show.
What do you think a boulder opal stone like this would be worth just as it is, ballpark, nothing "exact".
It weighs 30.7 carats and measures 34mm x 18mm x 6.9mm.
Thanks!
Chris
As I've been cutting away at boulder opals for my pendants, I thought maybe I should think about the value of just the stones alone before I add them to my creations, but even after all these years, I'm no further ahead at valuing an opal than when I started...lol.
Please take a look at this stone, it's dry, and the finished polish has been completed, although I still have to pretty up the back of the stone some more before I set it in wire wrap.
As with most boulders, the face is not perfect, and it is actually more of a carving, as it follows the natural contours of the original stone. It's impossible to get rid of all the pits and weird features in a boulder without treating it somehow or filling it, which I don't do.
It has some nice directional fire as it is turned in the light, video would be nice, but I'm still working on that...lol. I think it's a little bit more sparkly and bright than the pics show.
What do you think a boulder opal stone like this would be worth just as it is, ballpark, nothing "exact".
It weighs 30.7 carats and measures 34mm x 18mm x 6.9mm.
Thanks!
Chris