Slow Opal

[skywalker753]

Here are the two rough Andamooka Matrix Opal pics:
Its pretty hard to see ANY real color(s), but I did dunk them in water yesterday and can confirm that there IS some...lol...
I DO have have a really good rough one lined up next, just in case this one is a dud. But I dont think it is a dud...we'll see, like always... Honestly, I had to buy some extra OpalVision on this one...

[skywalker753]

So I have a couple of small rubs (15ish carats), PRE carbonization. Light body tone, some but only a bit more color, and into the sugar solution it goes for a good soak.
Funny I didn't remember all the pits and crevices in the larger rough piece. Its like if I took it any thinner, it'd be too fragile I think. So, I left a few of them in. Such is the way of Andamooka Matrix Opal, and doing it by hand...
I can "hear" people saying, "hey there's no color!"... lol ... well, I hope there is too in the end...

[skywalker753]

So, today I have three small matrix stones in the Carbonizer. The two ones above, and another one, the matrix opal Dinosaur tooth...lol... artistic and literary license exercised...lol...If it makes it, THAT one should have good color.
Also, I've slightly lower the temp of the Carbonizer, and slightly increased its processing time. I am just trying to get it a bit hotter than caramelizing the sugar, and also just over the actual carbonizing temp without reaching the blow up zone heat wise. Trial and error. I'd MUCH rather have 50 people around me doing this so I can both give and get in person opinions!...lol... anyways, keepin on...

[SwordfishMining]

Yesterday I went in and filed my yearly papers with one of my partners. Iffin' you don't meet their deadlines, you have no mine, LOL.
All's quite on the western front as far as I am concerned.
I like working with groups too for all my desert ratness. ie CCPV has to book a trip to get out here. I may be cancelling my vacation if they go and ban air travel without "papers". Just that word thinks of training a puppy to me. (simple direct repeated demands without a discussion period)

Not to point you at poison, as he throws a jar of death in his direction, I sold a few oz of hydrophane to guy experimenting with it to turn absorbent material black. Never did hear from him again, but then again he said he was not as impressed with our stuff as he had solid stuff from over by Boise, like boulder vein, not wood replacements, that he preferred working with. But size impresses him. Once its dried to see if its hydrophane its proven itself stable to size. Every one is different here with a range of sameness.
My knees hurt....
The stuff that fills my pockets within category:
Dog/bear head shaped conk float with a half a cone a funny face, a few pieces of commercial precious and potch. Also rans are the chips of opalized wood weathered out with wood based agates on the desert floor.

Virgin Valley Opal float & woods

stabilized to even mine cones

mine then stabilize cones

legal requirements followed

Trouble is I can't just do one thing and my plates are overflowing. let alone revolting LOL.

VRRCF ore

Not investment advice, like you should have bought AMC, GME, CRYPTO or SILVER etc, but i think their stock is going way up when they announce the drill core assays im pretty sure they have walking into the centers of their claim areas. They work on district sized projects. I may have the money to hire all my work out yet.

[skywalker753]

OK, everything made it out of the carbonizer, whew. And then sand and polish. And there IS a bit of color. Always happy when that happens! One pic is just under a regular desk lamp, and one of them under an LED lamp. And the Andamooka Matrix shaped like a Dinosaur tooth (see above regarding artistic license, er ok, exaggeration...) is mostly done, but I took a pic anyways...
Here's four pics:

[PinkDiamond]

Thanks for showing us your rough John, and sky, it really is amazing how carbonization makes colors pop out that are barely visible without the black.

We had a member back when we were part of opalauctions who, if memory serves me right, I think was in China, and he sent me a lovely crystal opal he cut and named a dragon's tooth, so why not call it a dinosaur tooth? It works for me.

[skywalker753]

The whole Dinosaur Tooth thing was because a larger piece of rough had a big, long crack in it that just looked like it was going to break apart. So I sliced along it, and then shaped and treated it. Problem solved! Well, I did really want a nice big finished piece, but it wasn't to be this time...
So, the larger part isn't THAT much bigger and I've got to figure out a decent shape and then get to work on it. It looks like a triangle would be the best use of the material, but an even smaller oval, or two pretty small ovals would be possible. We will see...
One challenge I constantly have, almost every piece, is varying thickness. The shape isn't so hard, but one end of the rough is almost always way thicker than the other end. I do attempt to even it out, but it is a real chore by hand. So, if anyone is doing this with files and sandpaper, I know you can relate!...lol...

[skywalker753]

This piece of rough is dry, so not truly color representative, but sometimes I draw on the stone to see what I'm going to cut. Coupla drops of alcohol and it wipes right off. If I had an assistant, I'd say, "here, cut and polish this please"...lol... but of course I don't HAVE an assistant... yet. Yes, there's green, but some orange and yellow too. Maybe a small bonus stone from the offcut. We'll see.
Here's the pic:

[skywalker753]

So, a sliced triangle, with a sweep bottom edge, which I'll just hand grind off. And, a pretty small triangular piece too. I think on one of the pics you can see what I was talking about regarding the thick on one end, thin on the other deal. Which I will work on. That small one will be a bit difficult without a dop stick... Should be fun!
Here's two pics:

[skywalker753]

So, this is a more or less natural color Andamooka matrix opal. Most of the shaping, sanding, and polishing is done, and most of the color appears to be gone too...lol... Actually this has soaked in sugar solution for lots of hours, and its now dried out, and its darker than is normally is by a shade or two.
Hard to see anything really good, but I do believe its there!...lol... We'll see, as its now in the Carbonizer.
As with a lot of matrix, there are still a few nooks and crannies and stuff left in the stone, but it'll have the best shape and appearance and then polish I can give it after the carbonizing.
Its 8.70 carats.
Lastly, I will be getting some completely untreated rough Andamooka matrix opal, to be showing here, and hand cutting several of them. The stuff I normally get has been treated once before I get it, to give a bit of color to the rough and face. I have two completely untreated small parcels coming, one with decent color, one with pretty good color, and I'll hopefully get a top notch color small parcel in the next few days. When I get all three parcels (well, I don't have the third one coming yet, but I'll get it!) I will compare and show the different grade parcels and give my own comments and maybe give a suggestion or two. Yes, yes, the best small parcel costs more, the decent one costs a bit less, and OK color is the least expensive. At least in general...lol...but IF you buy on the right day, you can get a great deal sometimes...sometimes not...lol
OK, here's the pic of natural color matrix opal: