Welcome to opalholicsanonymous.com where opal season lasts forever.

Lets tackle this alien fossil opal from Jullian Stavreas with the nova point range from Diamond Pacific thanks to SUVA Lapidary Supply.

To be finished later; taken to 3k points.

I need some NOVA points but after watching this video I'm not sure
>>> although his method and steps are not correct and he didn't make good job with shaping and pre-polishing >>> can't polish scratches !
>>> don't get me wrong he is cool dude but his cutting/carving skills are not so good

I wasn't making recommendations. I'd like to hear improvements. My files are full of other people doing things until i get around to trying them myself. I should have been a librarian. Ive got a how to Foredom video from about a decade a go i have not used yet (Ill get a new hand piece one day as Ive got thousands of dollars of rough that needs a fine touch, not wheels).
I keep hoping folks like you put out good methodology to correct me working against yourself. The repeated fine work is whats stopping me now after the no room to even set down another coffee cup thing... Hurting hands like i dont do much wire wrapping anymore either. I want to get a bunch of good sintered tips but the expense is making me try to get only them most likely to be used to start. I do have the first set of commercial points around here somewhere i still have not worn out making bead holes.

I was just saying in general. it's cool that he shares his experiments because this way someone like me can avoid his mistakes I carve stones just for fun and I did maybe dozen carvings so I'm beginner myself and I'm not really one who should teach others
there are couple good videos on YT from real carving masters.
to me the biggest problem is lack of good equipment -- I need money for better tools but I spend all on rough and cut it with wheels because it's faster -- carving takes too much time but with pro-tools it would be much easier ... then I could start making some really cool stuff
...maybe some day