Goodness, this is possibly the most beautiful opal piece I've ever seen. I'm partial to organic, natural shapes, and most people who love opals are probably more into perfect, symmetric shapes, so there's that. Honestly thought, if this piece was stable, and I owned it, I'd have turned it into a necklace, as is, and never taken it off! Well, perhaps I wouldn't have showered or slept wearing it, but apart from that! 😆 Thanks a mill for testing the novas and sharing your thoughts with us. I ordered a bunch of them earlier today and find your videos and people's comments super helpful 👍
That one was a bit of a wild piece but lots of fun to do one that is a little different every now and then. I need to keep testing the high grits. Have been using the 280, 600, 1200 and 3000 for many years but never bothered with these until I found help through SUVA lapidary supply.
It may be an unpopular opinion but my opal dealer swears by the 50,00 grit and honestly it has some upsides. I am just a hobbyist and my workspace is very small, getting cerium oxide everywhere can be a hassle to clean. I don’t use the 8,000 or 14,000 as I have found they are not needed. The only downsides are as you said it does take a while to get every surface on an opal but most stones I make are quite flat and small. The other downside is just personal because like you said, every nova bit is crafted differently. Mine came with some stray diamonds in the burr that like to cut in my stone randomly. As it wears so slowly the diamonds are still occasionally causing issues causing me to backtrack. Sorry for the long post I just wanted to get my two cents out there.
Nah not too long and very informative comment. The ideal comment really. That is true in terms of mess. Nova you might flick a tiny bit of water but it wont dry and leave behind powder everywhere. Would be a cleaner workspace.
Thanks Roy Your videos are always Boss.. Like u..I tried a other way After carving I went 140 rust 600 brown 3.000 rose 50,000 lt Blue Then ur favourite;) highest diamond grit paste on wooden dowl tip,and for a quick cerium on felt tip.. The result was one of my best finishes ever.. So big thanks to you for all the knowledge
I bought the full range, but experienced the same. I use them up to 8K and then cerium. Can't say the 50K replases cerium by far. As the stones get a greasy layer from the nova's, kinda like crayons, I was my opals with soap between grits as I'm a bit affraid of contamination.
I learned the hard way on avoiding cross contamination after trying to smooth my first opals with successive grits of sandpaper only to keep finding scratches while louping.. It was so frustrating.
Thank Roy, tough stone to trial on, I think the ridges are well polished, the Callie’s have either inclusion or not enough contact from the other novas, I usually skip the 8,000. I go 3,000 - 14,000 - 50,000 . No real reason, just what I did and was happy enough. I found the nova so much easier than the paste. But that’s just personal preference, thanks for sharing. Nice display piece, and I agree if you loose the sand, you may get a nice stone.
Nova points+microscope+fireagate unbelievable. Thanks for sharing tips and tricks hardly ever get shown. Tip for you. You can use a hard stone and shape your points to the desired shape pointy or dull.
"You can use a hard stone and shape your points to the desired shape pointy or dull" I talk about that in this video? I do want to get a few microscope videos but none of the light and cameras combos have been showing the opal well enough.
Good results, honestly. I'm not sure if this particular stone is the best test for those high grit burrs. Wonky shapes are exceedingly difficult to smooth and polish (in my opinion). I have a devil of a time doing it (although I admit I'm still very very new at this craft). Side note; I was late watching this video as I was quite tired from spending 12 and a half hours driving 1200 km to visit the Denver hard Rock summit gem show. Why? To meet my muse: the OG master opal man himself.. Justin Thomas. Some say "never met your heroes" but I was quite happy to meet and talk to the man, Ruth, and one of his trusty sidekicks.
Oh nice one meeting the legend in person. I've counted myself as lucky just to have a phone chat and a few messages. Its a tricky test but these complex carvings are what these burrs are here to polish. I will be testing them in reverse on a finished stone very soon.
First off that carving/opal is cool as heck. Second, I love going from 3k to cerium on leather...the other diamond just reduces the scratches between steps. Even 50k diamond you will see the scratches if you look under loupe. Thanks for the great content.
No worries Phoenix, I'm with you on the metal oxide over the diamond paste. The CeOx I developed has been tested to result in a 50nm surface scratch which a microscope might see but no loupe thats for sure. 👌💪
Cheers Roy you explain this so good easy to understand I'm just starting to use dermal not on opal but still the same so any info on how and what helps great video 👍
Great video on the higher grit tips👍 the 14,000 tip and I barely use it unless it’s boulder or fairy or andamoka opal. It’s wears the stone / boulder down but not the opal so much as I can see and helps the opal pop the colours better. I’m very curious now to use your oxide polish on some of my opals to c if it makes more gemy looking / wet. That belimite polish u did is all pro 💯🤩😎👍
That stone looks so different from anything I've ever seen. Its unbelievable. I'd be interested to see what the novas will do on a more traditional cut stone.
Just finished a lightning ridge heart carve to 50000 grit nova. Sent you a few pics of the stages so you can see the results better on darker opal. Plus the feel is very important. Almost like ice after the 50k. Also sent you a few ideas to better display the differences between 3k and 50k nova. Be sure to check your box when you can busy body. Think you'll really take to the ideas.
Justin from Black Opal Direct says it’s a waste of time going further than 1200 grit for Opal then straight to powder. It would be interesting to do the same test using boulder opal probably different results
Yeah on cabbing wheels I think 1200 to cerium is the way to go. For carving I still always get a better result going to 3000 novas. Not 100% sure why yet but I'll work it out one day.
@@RoysRocks for me, it helps smooth out those last little undulations or pits. I've been able to polish tiny pits with felt and cerium, but it is quite tedious.
Great to hear your take on this. I actually used these three yesterday, and the lower grits, but I ended up with some tiny marks in the end that I couldn't see before the piece was fully polished and shiny. Tricky, do I sort that out by using the powder (no clue if that would work), or go back and start from 1200 or something, maybe even lower? I've tried going only to lower polish (8000) but it doesn't help.
If you can see the marks by eye it sounds like an issue earlier than 1200 unfortunately. Good thing is you can always go back then do the process again and you'll learn over time which marks are from which burr. Its a good way to turn an unfortunate experience into a great learning one!
@@hannagyllensten475 May not be visible to ou now but I'm sure your senses will hone in on it and when you check them dry between stages you'll know if there are any issues. Just takes time. 👌
I was thinking… If Jullian agrees to take that top portion off, I wonder if there’s more opal to be seen under all of that sand in that top section. What if, before you remove it, you go all in and remove more sand? Just a thought. That said, you’re seeing it in person and you would know best. ❤️
I actually have gone from 3k to 14k to 50k since I started. The results are easier to compare when you use the novas on Fire Agate or Darker Opal. I would suggest doing a side by side comparison next video zoomed in. One side 3k other side 50k. Should be pretty easy to see the results then.
I'm not that surprised. I think the high iron oxide content in the fire agate would be more suited to nova points. Certainly better than CeOx, maybe similar to AlOx
i kinda like using those fine grits. 50k on a flat stone is kinda slippery. need to watch out not to press to hard and hit the surface with metal part. and produce quite a heat if you press hard and if you dont water burr often.important for doublets making,cus heat might damage epoxy .
Gah,, ive bought all of the higher grits 😢. So ive wasted money. Could i polish with the serium oxide and then the 50000 bur? Ive read that serium oxide is only 17000 grit
Please leave the top part as a fossil. It's not about the whole piece being colourful when it comes to fossils. It adds a massive amount and you will have many more buyers if left the way it is opposed to you ruining it by polishing it up :) Go to the museums in lighting ridge and check out their fossils
Thanks for testing the nova points as a stand alone process, very helpful information!!!!
No worries. I'll do a more focused test on them soon by going backwards on an already polished piece.
@@RoysRocks Awesome!!!!!
Great video as always my friend
Thanks Anthony, more testing to come...
Goodness, this is possibly the most beautiful opal piece I've ever seen. I'm partial to organic, natural shapes, and most people who love opals are probably more into perfect, symmetric shapes, so there's that. Honestly thought, if this piece was stable, and I owned it, I'd have turned it into a necklace, as is, and never taken it off! Well, perhaps I wouldn't have showered or slept wearing it, but apart from that! 😆
Thanks a mill for testing the novas and sharing your thoughts with us. I ordered a bunch of them earlier today and find your videos and people's comments super helpful 👍
That one was a bit of a wild piece but lots of fun to do one that is a little different every now and then.
I need to keep testing the high grits. Have been using the 280, 600, 1200 and 3000 for many years but never bothered with these until I found help through SUVA lapidary supply.
Looking fantastic Roy you always do outstanding wirk
Thanks Frank. Was a bit of a mission this one.
That's such a cool specimen to look at, looks absolutely beautiful 💜
It sure is interesting.
@@RoysRocks that's what we love about opal, no piece is ever the same and you generally learn something new with each one you handle 💜
It may be an unpopular opinion but my opal dealer swears by the 50,00 grit and honestly it has some upsides. I am just a hobbyist and my workspace is very small, getting cerium oxide everywhere can be a hassle to clean. I don’t use the 8,000 or 14,000 as I have found they are not needed. The only downsides are as you said it does take a while to get every surface on an opal but most stones I make are quite flat and small. The other downside is just personal because like you said, every nova bit is crafted differently. Mine came with some stray diamonds in the burr that like to cut in my stone randomly. As it wears so slowly the diamonds are still occasionally causing issues causing me to backtrack.
Sorry for the long post I just wanted to get my two cents out there.
Nah not too long and very informative comment. The ideal comment really.
That is true in terms of mess. Nova you might flick a tiny bit of water but it wont dry and leave behind powder everywhere. Would be a cleaner workspace.
Thanks Roy
Your videos are always Boss..
Like u..I tried a other way
After carving
I went
140 rust
600 brown
3.000 rose
50,000 lt Blue
Then ur favourite;)
highest diamond grit paste on wooden dowl tip,and for a quick cerium on felt tip..
The result was one of my best finishes ever..
So big thanks to you for all the knowledge
Great to hear you have found a successful method. Now hundreds of gems to come!!!
I don't think companies don't want you to know that you can make your own polishing tips out of wood
I bought the full range, but experienced the same. I use them up to 8K and then cerium. Can't say the 50K replases cerium by far.
As the stones get a greasy layer from the nova's, kinda like crayons, I was my opals with soap between grits as I'm a bit affraid of contamination.
I think for us and opal anything above 1200-3000 is probably a bit wasteful of time. Cerium oxide just worked too well on silica based stones.
I learned the hard way on avoiding cross contamination after trying to smooth my first opals with successive grits of sandpaper only to keep finding scratches while louping..
It was so frustrating.
Thank Roy, tough stone to trial on, I think the ridges are well polished, the Callie’s have either inclusion or not enough contact from the other novas, I usually skip the 8,000. I go 3,000 - 14,000 - 50,000 . No real reason, just what I did and was happy enough. I found the nova so much easier than the paste. But that’s just personal preference, thanks for sharing. Nice display piece, and I agree if you loose the sand, you may get a nice stone.
Yeah it is quite a challenge. I'll be hitting a more traditional piece with these and even a standard cab or two to give them another chance.
Nova points+microscope+fireagate unbelievable. Thanks for sharing tips and tricks hardly ever get shown. Tip for you. You can use a hard stone and shape your points to the desired shape pointy or dull.
"You can use a hard stone and shape your points to the desired shape pointy or dull" I talk about that in this video?
I do want to get a few microscope videos but none of the light and cameras combos have been showing the opal well enough.
Good results, honestly. I'm not sure if this particular stone is the best test for those high grit burrs. Wonky shapes are exceedingly difficult to smooth and polish (in my opinion). I have a devil of a time doing it (although I admit I'm still very very new at this craft).
Side note; I was late watching this video as I was quite tired from spending 12 and a half hours driving 1200 km to visit the Denver hard Rock summit gem show. Why? To meet my muse: the OG master opal man himself.. Justin Thomas.
Some say "never met your heroes" but I was quite happy to meet and talk to the man, Ruth, and one of his trusty sidekicks.
Oh nice one meeting the legend in person. I've counted myself as lucky just to have a phone chat and a few messages.
Its a tricky test but these complex carvings are what these burrs are here to polish. I will be testing them in reverse on a finished stone very soon.
First to give thumbs up 👍 and now to watch..
Have a wonderful day Roy.
Cheers Famo59 👍🍻🤓⛏
Haha you are always early. No sleep ins for the Famo.
@@RoysRocks
You definitely got that right.
It's always a great feeling to be the first to watch a new RR video.
@@ThatOpalGuy
For sure.
Have a wonderful weekend .
First off that carving/opal is cool as heck. Second, I love going from 3k to cerium on leather...the other diamond just reduces the scratches between steps. Even 50k diamond you will see the scratches if you look under loupe. Thanks for the great content.
No worries Phoenix, I'm with you on the metal oxide over the diamond paste. The CeOx I developed has been tested to result in a 50nm surface scratch which a microscope might see but no loupe thats for sure. 👌💪
I think I can do this just from watching your vids. You are incredibly informative ty.
No worries and i hope many get the confidence to start carving away.
Thanks for the video Roy.
No worries Chad 👍
Hi Roy and all the opalites out there. I still like it, but I agree that it would be nicer without the top bit.🙂
If it was mine I think it'd already be gone.
@@RoysRocks Hey Roy. Are you drowning there? Dim is waterlogged. Got 3 years of water in dam I better be careful of what I wish for! LOL.🤣
@@nancycurtis7315 Yeah its pretty wet here. You've got more headed your way for sure.
@@RoysRocks So wet that my first crop in 15 years has mostly drowned! Just some vetch for nitrogen, but will see what happens!
Cheers Roy you explain this so good easy to understand I'm just starting to use dermal not on opal but still the same so any info on how and what helps great video 👍
I reckon these would work better on other types of material so good luck and happy carving 👍
Well I guess ol' Ding dong is going to have new competition in the BL's carvers comp Heck of a job Roy
Haha I haven't really checked it out. Hope people are getting some solid carvings done in there.
Great video on the higher grit tips👍
the 14,000 tip and I barely use it unless it’s boulder or fairy or andamoka opal.
It’s wears the stone / boulder down but not the opal so much as I can see and helps the opal pop the colours better.
I’m very curious now to use your oxide polish on some of my opals to c if it makes more gemy looking / wet. That belimite polish u did is all pro 💯🤩😎👍
I'm totally unfamiliar rough using the aluminum oxide for polishing opals. I'd be happy to watch Roy's video and advice on using it.
If you are working mostly with boulder I would recommend the AlOx over the CeOx. It works better with the ironstone being a harder metal oxide.
That stone looks so different from anything I've ever seen. Its unbelievable. I'd be interested to see what the novas will do on a more traditional cut stone.
Yep that will be the next test. I'll pull out an already finished stone and see what the process does backwards. "how to uncarve a stone" LOL
@@RoysRocks ok, superman, stop flying counter to the earth's rotation.
Amazing colour!!
Some gem grade in there amongst it thats for sure.
Just finished a lightning ridge heart carve to 50000 grit nova. Sent you a few pics of the stages so you can see the results better on darker opal. Plus the feel is very important. Almost like ice after the 50k. Also sent you a few ideas to better display the differences between 3k and 50k nova. Be sure to check your box when you can busy body. Think you'll really take to the ideas.
I'll check it out tomorrow.
Very pretty shape!
I wonder what Jullian ended up doing with that one... It was a bit of a mess.
Luv my nova points 👉 👈
They are close to the best tools I own.
Once you learn to keep the sharp corners and edges off of them.
Justin from Black Opal Direct says it’s a waste of time going further than 1200 grit for Opal then straight to powder. It would be interesting to do the same test using boulder opal probably different results
Yeah on cabbing wheels I think 1200 to cerium is the way to go. For carving I still always get a better result going to 3000 novas. Not 100% sure why yet but I'll work it out one day.
Justin has 30+ years of cutting experience, so yeah.
@@RoysRocks for me, it helps smooth out those last little undulations or pits.
I've been able to polish tiny pits with felt and cerium, but it is quite tedious.
Nice one Roy ♥️👍🏼
Thanks man 👌💪
Well it is a one-off you would be hard to find another maybe set in ice resin as specimen to preserve from braking well done roy
Certainly one of a kind for sure. 👌
Wondering when you'll have some more Nova points in as I'm needing some so I can finish off my first doublet that I've made in 18yrs? Cheers bloke 🍻🤠
They are currently somewhere between the USA and AUS. Hoping only a week away so I can sell out agian in a couple days then the cycle starts again 🤣
Great to hear your take on this. I actually used these three yesterday, and the lower grits, but I ended up with some tiny marks in the end that I couldn't see before the piece was fully polished and shiny. Tricky, do I sort that out by using the powder (no clue if that would work), or go back and start from 1200 or something, maybe even lower? I've tried going only to lower polish (8000) but it doesn't help.
If you can see the marks by eye it sounds like an issue earlier than 1200 unfortunately. Good thing is you can always go back then do the process again and you'll learn over time which marks are from which burr. Its a good way to turn an unfortunate experience into a great learning one!
@@RoysRocks yes, just irritating that its not visible at the earlier levels of polish. :-)
@@hannagyllensten475 May not be visible to ou now but I'm sure your senses will hone in on it and when you check them dry between stages you'll know if there are any issues. Just takes time. 👌
I was thinking… If Jullian agrees to take that top portion off, I wonder if there’s more opal to be seen under all of that sand in that top section. What if, before you remove it, you go all in and remove more sand? Just a thought. That said, you’re seeing it in person and you would know best. ❤️
Pretty sure that shell extends a bit further Still would be a cool melding of a belemnite and a shell.
I actually have gone from 3k to 14k to 50k since I started. The results are easier to compare when you use the novas on Fire Agate or Darker Opal. I would suggest doing a side by side comparison next video zoomed in. One side 3k other side 50k. Should be pretty easy to see the results then.
I'm not that surprised. I think the high iron oxide content in the fire agate would be more suited to nova points. Certainly better than CeOx, maybe similar to AlOx
i kinda like using those fine grits. 50k on a flat stone is kinda slippery. need to watch out not to press to hard and hit the surface with metal part. and produce quite a heat if you press hard and if you dont water burr often.important for doublets making,cus heat might damage epoxy .
Novas arent designed to experience much heat anyway since they themselves will start to burn so water is a must.
From one side that opal looks like a dragon skull. It looks like the dragon I’m 3D printing right now. If I could send a picture of it I would
Imagine finding an opalised dragon skull! I'd quit while I'm a head... 🤣
Gah,, ive bought all of the higher grits 😢. So ive wasted money. Could i polish with the serium oxide and then the 50000 bur? Ive read that serium oxide is only 17000 grit
Cerium oxide will get a much better finish than a 50,000 Nova.
Is there a way to sharpen the point?
Yeah you can grind away with a dressing tool similar to sharpening sintered diamond tools. (th-cam.com/video/diVZXvfNqWs/w-d-xo.html)
@@RoysRocks thanks!
Please leave the top part as a fossil. It's not about the whole piece being colourful when it comes to fossils. It adds a massive amount and you will have many more buyers if left the way it is opposed to you ruining it by polishing it up :) Go to the museums in lighting ridge and check out their fossils
It will come down to what Julian wants in the end. He likes to sell stones and it will sell much easier with the top removed.
Still no box in the post?
Nah not yet. Ultra slow snail mail it seems.