This page features 5 videos that take you through the process of turning a rough opal stone into four high quality opal gemstones. The five videos cover cutting the rough opal stone, dopping the opal (the sensible and easy way), shaping the opal and the polishing of the finished opal gemstones.
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Opal has been described as natures kaleidoscope, an individual expression of nature’s beauty, rainbows of perfection. Each opal is totally unique.
Some writings mention that the first recorded opal artifacts dating back to about 4000 B.C. were found by anthropologist Louis Leakey in a cave in Kenya. However others dispute this saying the beads in question were actually chalcedony,
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Black opal is the most majestic of all opal. The best Black Opals are truly striking, the rarest and the most valuable. I believe their beauty far exceeds all other gemstones.
The term “Black Opal” often confuses people. We get customers thinking that black opal is exactly that….black….with no other colour.
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Mintabie opal field is located 280 kilometers north of Coober Pedy. It is 35 kilometers west of Marla.
I went to Mintabie in 1980. It changed the direction of my life and you are reading this now as a direct result of that first trip. Whenever I see a picture of Mintabie my pulse races a little.
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To all involved in the opal industry perhaps the most important person in the evolution of the industry was Tullie Wollaston. Through his pioneering efforts Australian opal was introduced to the world stage.
He was born on the 17th May in 1863 on the family property, Lake Hamilton,
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The Jet Black Opal Claim
I was feeling intensely excited and keen to get back to Mintabie and start work on the Jet Black Opal claim. I had a good feeling and as a lot of miners will tell you ‘having a feeling’ sometimes leads to a find. ‘Having a feeling’ is different from anticipation or dreaming.
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Cutting Solid Opals
I have been cutting opal since I was thirteen. I have cut Mintabie opal, Lightning Ridge opal, Andamooka opal, Coober Pedy opal and Boulder opal from many Queensland opal mines.
This article is about the basic procedure I use to cut opal to produce the best results for the cut solid opals that we sell in our shop and our website.
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