Slow Opal

[skywalker753]

A question I often ask myself when something may not go, uh, the good way I planned it, is--" Have I done everything I can and am able to?" If the answer is yes, or pretty much yes, then I can relax a bit in peace with that knowledge. And get em next time. If the answer is no, well, then I gotta DO everything I can and see how it goes... And so it is with matrix that don't turn out as well as I'd planned...
So.
I'm soaking in maple syrup solution (sugar) the heart shaped matrix opal. AND, along with it is another matrix opal, from a similar but different blue/green piece of matrix that I shaped as an oval, more or less and took to 2000 grit...lol... I can already SEE that the second blue green one is much better color wise, but won't really know til after both are carbonized and then polished. So far it does look like the heart is a "one off" of poor color(hey, it could get better), and the second is much more normal good to very good color. We'll see in the end, I'll try to remember to take pics of both and post here. Whatever the outcome.
In a distant past, I was always exhorted to "work the problem!!!", "WORK THE PROBLEM"!!! ...lol.... which I am. Its not bad advice for anything really...

[skywalker753]

I made a good deal of progress today, the two above matrix opals are finished being carbonized, and are ready to be polished. All that surface carbon has to be sanded off and the matrix opal polished again. Funny, what I quickly cut and called an "oval" is more like a rounded rectangle. Thats OK. The appearance of both is fairly typical of carbonized matrix opal (well, at least mine!), and if you quickly page/click back to page one this thread, you'll see some others too. I'll wait here...lol...
Anyways, I have approaching zero reserve energy left for today, so the polishing and the true results will have to wait for another day. No real idea of WHAT they'll look like, anything would just be a guess right now...we'll see for sure later... I do know what they're SUPPOSED to look like...
So, here they are, right out of the carbonizer.....hey wait, I think I just coined a new term..."the carbonizer"...lol.....
If you are doing this for the first time, don't be surprised at the light but noticeable burnt sugar smell. It'll go away when you wash up and when the matrix opals are polished.

[PinkDiamond]

They're looking good so far and it will be interesting to see how much of the black comes off during polishing. I think you did a really nice job shaping them.

[skywalker753]

Well, generally, and this time too, all of the surface carbon comes off. But it always looks hopeless when its fully carbonized!...lol...

[skywalker753]

OK, just a reminder, so you don't have to look back, here's what the heart I bad mouthed looked like after shaping and polishing. Not much hope.

[skywalker753]

And after carbonizing,and re-polishing, including the one I did as a comparison. Big time surprised me!!!
Both of them in hand look better than here, and have decent play of color. So, to the matrix opal heart, I'm sorry I doubted you, I bad mouthed you to the world, and it won't happen again...lol...!
Seriously, the heart shaped one went from junk to something I'd be happy to encorporate into a pendant.
As the late, great, Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over til its over!" He was an American baseball player that is known for his "Yogisms", or sayings that made you scratch your head, laugh, and yet acknowlege that they were true!...lol (google him, there's lots of examples of funny sayings...)

[SwordfishMining]

Yeah. Those brightened up. Dims the curse of whiteness a little so the color can shine.

[skywalker753]

Well, I've got another matrix opal picked out to work on, and its a bit unusual. At least in the rough, it looks golden. I have had color "change" on me between being rough and polished, so we'll see..... close up, the individual color make up is yellow, orange, green, and a bit of blue. At any distance, that combo looks gold. Not a matrix opal color expert.... Is gold its own color, or is it a combination of several? Could change as I work the piece anyways...
Not sure what shape to make it: could be a crownish shape, could be a boomerang shape, or even a B2 Stealth Bomber shape.....lol....It'll probably be a more normal shape, or two though.
Now I just have to FIND it again. I'll post a pic of the rough when I do find it, before I start working on it.
Side note: My diamond files (well the three that see the most use) are starting to lose their effectiveness after several months of hard usage. I am not sure if thats good or not, but I'm happy with how long they lasted, particularly when they cost only 16 dollars US for the set. I'll order another set in the near future. And probably a set of wider ones too, if I can find that. My current set is still fully intact, and the file part looks like new. Just doesn't work as quickly as when new, and requires a bit more pressure.

[skywalker753]

Here's the gold colored rough matrix opal that I'll be working on next. Its wet, not polished. The color looks like dirt when dry, well now anyways. Not certain when I'll do it, but probably today and tomorrow. Shape suggestions are welcome, sometimes the piece itself limits what it can be shaped as. I mean thickness, cracks, crumbly matrix, layers, color changes, etc...all sort of shape what shape a particular piece is suited to.

[skywalker753]

Here's a situation I find myself in all the time. Its maddening, but makes me laugh. So, when I (or you?) are say purchasing rough opal or rough matrix opal online, there are usually photos and a video of the material you're looking at. And, it invariably looks HUGE. I mean, I have plans to cut that bad boy into 4 nice pieces and then sell those for a gazillion dollars. This still happens today to me, and I have to fight it all the time. Maybe you do too. Its not the sellers fault, they're trying to sell it, photograph and video it in a detailed manner, light it up so it shows in the best possible manner, and put a ruler, hand, dish, something in a photo for perspective. Unless its falsely represented, but thats a different matter entirely.
Exhibit "A", your honor, is above, the huge gold/green rough matrix opal. Take a look and come on back here to the smiley faces ...lol.
OK, so that could be a whole fistful of matrix opal. My eyes and brain make that huge. The perspective is there for me to see (in a different photo, not this one), and the written description is fully legal, compliant, and accurate. But I STILL see HUGE!!! What breaks it down for me is to get a coin or object about the same size, and just put it in my hand. THAT is how big it is. A lot of times I shake my head and go "wow!", thats how small it is.
I chose to buy this piece of rough matrix opal, knowing its size, and realizing its true size. My brain tries to tell me it is much bigger. But, armed with this info, I now am much more satisfied with my purchases. I hope this makes sense, and I'm truly not against people selling this stuff. Its where I get all my matrix opal after all...lol...
Here it is in my hand: