Slow Opal

[SwordfishMining]

Aww. Thats too bad. Ive refereed a lot of cutters to them for parcels.

[skywalker753]

This opal isn't my best opal, but it has the best overall color. Full face and play of color from every angle. The shape isn't ideal and the base below the face isn't either, but its ok. Its leaning on one of the matrix opals. THAT one is now probably an N1 equivalent in body color, but only has blue and green play of color.

[skywalker753]

I'm still using the same set of files as when I started doing this. It has seemed that they have gotten better with time and usage. Maybe they had to be "broken in" a bit a first to knock off any raised diamond parts. I mean, they are probably less efficient now, but don't tend to leave scratches like when new. THAT was aggravating...lol... I'll take the longer work time for a better overall result! .....and when I get new ones I'll know the deal.
I guess that new wheels on a machine can have something similar when new?

[PinkDiamond]

No, your report is the first we've heard about Steve retiring and shutting down, and if you know of good sources for opals that you trust you are welcome to 'advertise' for them here like I do for Brad the Gem Trader, who I've done business with for many years and gotten excellent gemstones. That's a real bummer that he's closing up shop, and if he's got a lot of information on his website I hope he doesn't shut it down entirely even if he stops selling.

I like the shape of the opal even if it's not perfect, and it definitely has a lot of color. How high a grit do you use for your final polish?

[skywalker753]

Theyt said this was part of a parcel of Fairy Opal, it looks like it could be that, or even concrete or rainbow opal. Its for sure matrix opal...lol...

[skywalker753]

For the life of me (and believe me I tried) I could NOT get a decent polish on this piece. I cut it, got somewhat of a prepolish on it, treated it, and again attemped a final polish...with no luck. The surface was very, i think granular is the right description, and those small granules abrading off, leaving tiny unpolished areas.....
SO... I got out the epoxy 330, mixed some up, and after two thin coats (sanding lightly inbetween coats) its smooth and shiny. And sealed...lol...
Worked great for a polished finish. I know some wouldn't do it this way, I've been so advised, but I'd probably do it again if needed. I don't know if the epoxy 330 has a long life of remaining "water clear" as it is now.

[skywalker753]

Oh, to answer your question Pink, it varies on the piece and material what grit I use to get to a prepolish. Sometimes as low as 1500, sometimes 2000 or 2500. Then usually to Cerium, the pink kind. I've had pieces where I used a damp electric toothbrush to flush off/out the remaining stubborn cerium residue particles. I've only had to do that on a handful of pieces tho.
I've used much higher grit sandpaper, I think up to 14000 or so. I know others do that with great result. I don't do that regularly. Also have tried diamond paste of differing grits, but only a few tries at that.
1500 to 2500 and then to cerium seems to work well for me. Or its what I like anyways...

[PinkDiamond]

That's pretty much the progression of grits that I use too, although I started out using 500 grit, 800, 1200, 2k or 2500 and then cerium oxide, also the pink version of it, and I have on occasion used a 100k diamond stick to finish one or two of them for the final polish. It sounds like treating that one was the only option, so let us know if you notice changes in the look or color of the stone as the epoxy ages.

[skywalker753]

Another type of opal has given me some perplexed cutting and polishing sessions. Crystal Opal. Oh, Australian Crystal Opal, either from Coober Pedy OR Lightning Ridge. I really like it, but the problem for me is that I've not been able to get truly really good crystal rough opal with any type of consistency.
I mean, if I'm lucky it will be stable, cut well, and end up looking nice in a piece of rough that put me back a good amount. I DO get it, thats why its nearly always a gamble!!!....LOL... With crystal opal I can usually SEE the color, nearly always, and tend to develop "expectations" (again..lol...) with the final result as far as color goes. And nearly always I'm dissapointed in the final color. It can appear pastel, more faint, less vibrant than I think it should. I mean, at this point it COULD be a lack of skill on my part. But I don't think so. But it still could be.
I think it may be a lack of, well, quality of the rough, then final stone. There is undoubtedly outstanding crystal rough. I just can't find it. Well, Ok, thats technically not true. I CAN find it, sometimes, but the cost as per the dealer is way above what I think its worth. At this point.
Maybe thats the way it should be. I know it takes sometimes Herulean effort to get that stuff out of the ground, IF it can be found at all.
With the whole "Slow Opal" deal, sometimes the multiple day effort makes me literally jump for joy at the end result. Its a bit difficult when that effort results in something less than stellar. More than once I've ...well I'll leave that part out...lol...
Bottom line, I've learned to take the bad along with the good (gamble rough IS gamble rough after all) and I'm learning also to take the dissapointing result in stride. Some people say, when faced with a dissapointing result, "it is what it is"!
I keep doing it, because I like doing it! And the sometimes fantastic results keep the opal train rolling, for me anyways!

[skywalker753]

I've got several crystal opals which kind of illustrate the above post. I'll post the three pics of one of them below. I've think I'll do one of two things with my "paler" crystal opals...either coat the back of the opals with epoxy 330 that I mix a little black oxide into the epoxy to darken the back, OR coat the back part under the stone of the actual piece of jewelry that the opal goes into. Oh, that is just two sided black gorilla tape in the pics.