One of the things I love about lapidary is that you can improvise so many bits for cheap. Those diamond pastes seem expensive, but they go along way. The bag of cerium oxide I bought 10 years ago, will last another 10 years. Love to carve with my Dremel, don't buy Dremel bits, to expensive, tool places often have no brand bits that are significantly less expensive, even if they wear out a bit quicker, buy 3 to 6 for the price of 1 Dremel bit.
@@evelynvongizycki1017 just make sure you get one with a flex shaft. you have to work in water, or use a dripper and you don't want that electric hand held any where near water. p.s. if you can afford a fordom get one they are more powerful and will last longer.
Love this video This is the video that got me into Opal..it’s been almost 2years now..thank you Justin 💖 I really wish we get another carving video like this soon in the future Bless
Mind blown! My living room is filled with purple smoke now!! The dremel bit your father made, how special a tool to have in your arsenal. And it works beautifully!! Always learning from you, much appreciated.
During the Covid lockdown I started watching Aussie Opal Hunters on the Quest tv channel and then had a look on TH-cam to see if there were any more episodes. I spotted your channel and had a look at a couple of your videos. I subscribed and now I'm hooked. Watching you cut and polish is absolutely fascinating and keeps me occupied while I am locked down. I had never given opal a thought before. Never mind how they are processed. Sir, YOU are a gem amongst gems.
Hey, Justin, I’ve been teaching myself to carve and polish all sorts of stones. My pop has passed on, as well, and although he wasn’t an artist or jeweler, he provided some excellent opal rough he brought home many years ago when he and my ma visited Australia. If it wasn’t for TH-cam and you specifically, it would still be sitting in a dusty old box in storage. Cheers, and thanks a million, mate!
I just bought a Dremel yesterday, as well as ordering some opals from Murray Willis. Then I find this video today in my suggested feed. Nice. Thanks, Justin. This video has increased my desire to get some Australian dirt under my nails. Thanks so much for sharing your years of experience, and lessons you've learned from the years your father put in, and passed down to you. Mahalos, love, respect, Aloha. Liked, and subscribed
@@evelynvongizycki1017 I bought the 8100 cordless model. it's great. I've had zero issues with it in the year that I e owned it, other than having to replace the collets, which is minor, and to be expected.
Thank you so much for creating this video. That is...by far...the highest polished carved opal I have seen. I love the concept of a carved opal but most have a very poor polish.
G’day Justin thanks heaps for the vid …. I had no idea it takes that long wow …. Beautiful job mate 👍 think I might stick with the cab machine for now 😆
Watching this while you are on vacation! Hope you are relaxing and fishing 'till your heart's content and providing for your family at the same time. I am about to run out of content to watch. lol! I know I am not the only fan missing you so enjoy but hurry back!
Thanks mate just wanted to make that wood tip what a great tip this is so good to learn and thanks to your magical dad for passing down such a great thing
YOU are the best. I've been looking and searching for someone organized and knowledgeable. This was so interesting and so fun. You're Lovely! thank you!!
Love your videos. I being a dental tech know the dangers of silica. When doing dry grinding I recommend vacuum dust extraction and also a mask. Love your show
I have just bought 3- parcels of gamble and rough and wanted to be able to get them a bit shaped and polished for natural wrapping. Thank you for this (instruction) video. As there are no other videos about dremeling opal out there!
Thank you for your videos! Thinking of you and yours as the fires rage, praying you are safe. Looking forward to getting my opals in the mail so I can get started. Will continue to keep Australia in our hearts here in the USA. Stay safe!
Thankyou for sharing this video and tips on how to carve a gem. I've collected a few "cheaper" 25$-60$ promising Ethiopian opal clean roughs before trying to tackle my life long dream pendant. I've always dreamed of having a glowing magical looking solid opal dragon like fang shaped fantasy jewelry pendant. I plan by hiding a ice blue tritium vial in the dragon scale cap above the gemstone it will give the look of it glowing of its own power that will last for near a decade straight! The dragon scale cap will be painted with an intense color shifting chameleon pigments that best match the stone and its blue glow. But having never being able to find a solid opal stone that has been already carved like a fang that I could use ANYWHEAR online. So being an sculpting/carving artist I'm hoping that it will help a bit with my first attempt with my crash course learning in dipping my toes in the lapidary work world. Any further advice from you and others in the comments would be more then appreciated. And wish me luck!
I saw a very delicately carved antique opal flower for sale years ago and have wanted to make one myself ever since. I'm thinking of starting out with some cheap rough pink opal to learn on.
Once you get all done, why not tumble it super-super fine? That's the beauty of organics, in nature everything is so fine, they are literally impossible to duplicate. The closer one gets, the more we see literal perfection. It's great fun watching, Justin. Thanks.
please respect the natural opal formations and try to preserve as much as was created. I liked your comment. Unusual shapes following the existing vein would be a treat. You and your Dad are the artists that may set a new standard of beauty and preservation, and different jewelry to optimize the new shapes revealed. Ovals, ho-hum. Do enough to pay the bills but invest in a natural new direction.
Hi Justin, I had asked on another video of yours why you didn't use a dremel. After watching this, I think I have my answer. The end product you produce on a wheel is just much better. In my opinion, it's worth the loss in weight to cut stones with saw and rub them on a wheel. Thanks so much for your informative videos.
I know your father was in an earlier video. You said "when he was around". I don't want to ask if he passed. I'm sorry to hear if that's the case. I really appreciate your videos. I look forward to finishing my little shop and starting my lapidary endeavor very soon. I will definitely be using all that I have learned in the many videos you have generously provided. I'll be ordering a parcel from you shorlty. You seem very honest and sincere in all that you do. Thanks
I've always Loved opals, but never thought of doing my own. I Do have a dremel & mess around w/Fire Agate, so perhaps after watching your video I may TRY! Thanks for the great tips! BTW, does your site sell opal rough like the video?
Your a Very gifted artist thankyou for show casing your talent on social media. Just 1 question though How did they clean and carve/shape the stone before modern technology was used
I believe that it saves you loosing a lot of opal if you were to Dremel the sand before cutting your stones as you can see what is involved with each sand pocket before hand
I been looking forward to a carving video for quite a while now, thanks Justin! In the Cerium Dioxide, Justin, there are obviously "abrasive granules". Would you happen to know the hardness of those things? I only ask because I am toying with having a bash using Welsh Slate. Not as a solid item, but two pieces from the same supply rubbed together to get a good slurry and then using the slurry. An ide of the Ceriums hardness would then allow me to figure a rough working time. Just as you said there "another 20 mins or so". With a soofter grained slurry I'd guess the work time would go up. Which I dont mind but dont want it to take forever to do the same job, as it were. Now I know slate is soft, but I use these things in the solid form to put a polish / hone on my knives which are made from 1095 carbon steel, stainless steel and 01 tool steel too. And man do those knife edges ever shine when you have honed them on the slate! Many thanks mate, Andy.
how much do u charge to shape a cabuchon,? I bought one from lightning ridge opal auctions, and not sure if I want to attempt it. its very beautiful, with many colors. looks like wood on the back.
I just bought my own dermal today for this 😁 I've never even seen opal in person or touched but your videos are amazing and they bring me real joy. I'd like to try and do everything you've talked about and shown in this video 😁 I have no idea where to purchase rough Opal, if you could say a website or a word that I should Google it'd be very very appreciated.
I googled your name and found what I was looking for and more 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁 I'm extremeeeemly happy. Hopefully some day soon you can give me an appraisal on a piece I've touched 😁 I'm excited, never even seen opal besides in your videos and now I'm going to try and carve some 😁 inspiring you are
Hi Justin! I bought everything you used here (except some budget versions of things) and I’m wondering how you clean the opal between compounds and after your finial polish? Would you use a soft toothbrush and dish soap?
Giday mate, I'm just starting out and I would like to know where to buy the diamond paste from please? Also any tips you could give me would be great 😊. I'm starting using a Dremel. I'm going to practise on potch first and I'm wondering if it's exactly the same as grinding opal or is it harder than opal?
Black Opal Direct don't worry I won't. I'm hooked... Just need to keep practising, watch all your videos again and buy some more opal soon, I'm just working through my last small pieces.
I just purchased a beginners rough parcel from you and was wondering where in Australia is the best place to purchase the Nova soft tips, felt tips and cirium (?sp) oxide? I have a dremel with a flex shaft and a few tips from various hobbies but they might not be suitable for lapediatry (?sp again lol). Thankyou for making all of these videos and sparking an interest in cutting opals in me.
you're really good with carving when I heard you're not good as your father I thought you going to ruin the opal xD but you're really good with it if you had your father's skills you might save few carats but still you did the job at the right way very nice video and sorry about your father...
One of the things I love about lapidary is that you can improvise so many bits for cheap. Those diamond pastes seem expensive, but they go along way. The bag of cerium oxide I bought 10 years ago, will last another 10 years. Love to carve with my Dremel, don't buy Dremel bits, to expensive, tool places often have no brand bits that are significantly less expensive, even if they wear out a bit quicker, buy 3 to 6 for the price of 1 Dremel bit.
Someone else told me on here which Dremel they use just curious which one you use
@@evelynvongizycki1017 just make sure you get one with a flex shaft. you have to work in water, or use a dripper and you don't want that electric hand held any where near water. p.s. if you can afford a fordom get one they are more powerful and will last longer.
Love this video
This is the video that got me into Opal..it’s been almost 2years now..thank you Justin 💖
I really wish we get another carving video like this soon in the future
Bless
Mind blown! My living room is filled with purple smoke now!! The dremel bit your father made, how special a tool to have in your arsenal. And it works beautifully!! Always learning from you, much appreciated.
I'm always very thankful when mentors take their time to teach me things so thank you Justin.
You’re such a great teacher. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Been watching your videos for a while now.! 😊
You are so welcome!
Dude, the wooden tip made by your dad... seriously so cool and such a great video sharing his knowledge and yours. Thank you 👏
Rookie Rockhoundin haha your welcome. He was a talent
During the Covid lockdown I started watching Aussie Opal Hunters on the Quest tv channel and then had a look on TH-cam to see if there were any more episodes. I spotted your channel and had a look at a couple of your videos. I subscribed and now I'm hooked. Watching you cut and polish is absolutely fascinating and keeps me occupied while I am locked down. I had never given opal a thought before. Never mind how they are processed. Sir, YOU are a gem amongst gems.
Justin that is way too cool. I never knew or would have thought that a wooden dremel but existed or anything. You just blew my mind.
Hey, Justin, I’ve been teaching myself to carve and polish all sorts of stones. My pop has passed on, as well, and although he wasn’t an artist or jeweler, he provided some excellent opal rough he brought home many years ago when he and my ma visited Australia. If it wasn’t for TH-cam and you specifically, it would still be sitting in a dusty old box in storage. Cheers, and thanks a million, mate!
lisa owen-nielson so glad to have inspired ❤️🙏
I just bought a Dremel yesterday, as well as ordering some opals from Murray Willis. Then I find this video today in my suggested feed. Nice. Thanks, Justin. This video has increased my desire to get some Australian dirt under my nails. Thanks so much for sharing your years of experience, and lessons you've learned from the years your father put in, and passed down to you.
Mahalos, love, respect, Aloha.
Liked, and subscribed
Can I ask which Dremel you bought?
@@evelynvongizycki1017 I bought the 8100 cordless model. it's great. I've had zero issues with it in the year that I e owned it, other than having to replace the collets, which is minor, and to be expected.
@@redeyestones3738 Thanks they have so many types and levels it’s hard to pick
@@evelynvongizycki1017 the 8100 is relatively cheap, and pretty decent on my arthritis
This is still truly the best of black opal direct videos
The carving videos are amazing,this video got me into opal
Thank you so much for creating this video. That is...by far...the highest polished carved opal I have seen. I love the concept of a carved opal but most have a very poor polish.
G’day Justin thanks heaps for the vid …. I had no idea it takes that long wow …. Beautiful job mate 👍 think I might stick with the cab machine for now 😆
Watching this while you are on vacation! Hope you are relaxing and fishing 'till your heart's content and providing for your family at the same time. I am about to run out of content to watch. lol! I know I am not the only fan missing you so enjoy but hurry back!
Thanks mate just wanted to make that wood tip what a great tip this is so good to learn and thanks to your magical dad for passing down such a great thing
Such a beautiful stone! Thank You for sharing!
YOU are the best. I've been looking and searching for someone organized and knowledgeable. This was so interesting and so fun. You're Lovely! thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thankyou for your kindness in sharing all this information. Like your dad, you are a really nice person :)
Thank you so much!
beautiful piece. I cannot believe I put a like on this video and then failed to watch the complete video until now.
enjoyed your approach to use the Dremel to fashion a more natural shape occasionally
Love your videos.
I being a dental tech know the dangers of silica. When doing dry grinding I recommend
vacuum dust extraction and also a mask.
Love your show
John MCCULLOCH yes it is advised when dry
Turned out so beautiful. I like at the end how you show what it looks like after each stage.
I have just bought 3- parcels of gamble and rough and wanted to be able to get them a bit shaped and polished for natural wrapping. Thank you for this (instruction) video. As there are no other videos about dremeling opal out there!
that was such a great video. one of my favs for sure. i really enjoyed how you showed the polish progression at the end.
Thank you for your videos! Thinking of you and yours as the fires rage, praying you are safe. Looking forward to getting my opals in the mail so I can get started. Will continue to keep Australia in our hearts here in the USA. Stay safe!
Thank you Terri
I love the skills you have,I was telling my wife I subscribed to your channel she said for me to learn how to do this I said I can try...
Thanks Justin, just what I needed to know. I’ve got all this kit at home, and a piece of rough Opal to practice on, I’ll give it a go👍😁
Beautiful.....! Thanks for teaching us.🇺🇸
You are welcome :-)
Another super helpful video! Thanks so much!
Thankyou for sharing this video and tips on how to carve a gem. I've collected a few "cheaper" 25$-60$ promising Ethiopian opal clean roughs before trying to tackle my life long dream pendant.
I've always dreamed of having a glowing magical looking solid opal dragon like fang shaped fantasy jewelry pendant. I plan by hiding a ice blue tritium vial in the dragon scale cap above the gemstone it will give the look of it glowing of its own power that will last for near a decade straight! The dragon scale cap will be painted with an intense color shifting chameleon pigments that best match the stone and its blue glow. But having never being able to find a solid opal stone that has been already carved like a fang that I could use ANYWHEAR online. So being an sculpting/carving artist I'm hoping that it will help a bit with my first attempt with my crash course learning in dipping my toes in the lapidary work world.
Any further advice from you and others in the comments would be more then appreciated. And wish me luck!
as a pro jeweler im amazed at the high value stuff he cuts in these vids, big $
Great result justin! Thanks for sharing!
Welcome glad you liked
Jeez, u make it look so easy!
Great vid😊
I saw a very delicately carved antique opal flower for sale years ago and have wanted to make one myself ever since. I'm thinking of starting out with some cheap rough pink opal to learn on.
And, I hardly lost any of the opal! Amazing.
I meant you
Thanks for showing us how to do this ,you did a great job with that opal
Once you get all done, why not tumble it super-super fine? That's the beauty of organics, in nature everything is so fine, they are literally impossible to duplicate. The closer one gets, the more we see literal perfection. It's great fun watching, Justin. Thanks.
one word. cracks
please respect the natural opal formations and try to preserve as much as was created. I liked your comment. Unusual shapes following the existing vein would be a treat. You and your Dad are the artists that may set a new standard of beauty and preservation, and different jewelry to optimize the new shapes revealed. Ovals, ho-hum. Do enough to pay the bills but invest in a natural new direction.
This is my favorite way for opals to be done!! Just take it as nature formed it and release the beauty!!!
Excellent musical choice!
Very well done!
th-cam.com/video/B9FzVhw8_bY/w-d-xo.html
Little something for you!
Lovely, informative video. Many thanks, I just adore watching you do these !
Just stunning. I would love to see what some of them get made into. I see this one as an amazing pendent
You are surely an expert at the wet dremel grinding.
Hi Justin, I had asked on another video of yours why you didn't use a dremel. After watching this, I think I have my answer. The end product you produce on a wheel is just much better. In my opinion, it's worth the loss in weight to cut stones with saw and rub them on a wheel. Thanks so much for your informative videos.
Welcome
I know your father was in an earlier video. You said "when he was around". I don't want to ask if he passed. I'm sorry to hear if that's the case. I really appreciate your videos. I look forward to finishing my little shop and starting my lapidary endeavor very soon. I will definitely be using all that I have learned in the many videos you have generously provided. I'll be ordering a parcel from you shorlty. You seem very honest and sincere in all that you do. Thanks
dent tech yes he passed 4 years ago. Hard times. But we get through it. Thank you for your kindness. I am here when your ready
I'm from a woodworking family, and I've been wanting to get back into carving for a while.
I may just try my hand at lapidary work.
Love this one thanks to your father for leaving us the skills you teach us today!!!
well done, beautiful opal, thanks for sharing, good to see you working with a Dremel, its hard to do
I opal with light from both sides the best, great job! Love it!
brilliant, thoroughly enjoyed thank you!
Our pleasure!
That was beautiful justin! Simply Beautiful!❤️
This was so so helpful! Thank you so much for sharing :)
Wow great step by step tutorial a big help to us! Thank you
Thanks for these videos, inspirational, looking forward to giving this a go soon. Very sorry to hear about your Dad.
bruceborges thank you Bruce
Learned a lot, thank you!
I've always Loved opals, but never thought of doing my own. I Do have a dremel & mess around w/Fire Agate, so perhaps after watching your video I may TRY! Thanks for the great tips! BTW, does your site sell opal rough like the video?
Beautiful Opal
If its worth saying ,then its worth saying it twice . Thanks for sharing your knowledge, once again I learn something. 🏴😁💎🏴
Glad to help
Thank you for sharing!🙏
Your a Very gifted artist thankyou for show casing your talent on social media.
Just 1 question though
How did they clean and carve/shape the stone before modern technology was used
Love your channel
Simply beautiful!
I believe that it saves you loosing a lot of opal if you were to Dremel the sand before cutting your stones as you can see what is involved with each sand pocket before hand
Superbe vidéo . Tks a lot !. A great job 👍👌
I love the purple flash
رائع جدا عملك مثل فنان يرسم لوحة.بيكاسو الأوبال ،
I been looking forward to a carving video for quite a while now, thanks Justin!
In the Cerium Dioxide, Justin, there are obviously "abrasive granules". Would you happen to know the hardness of those things? I only ask because I am toying with having a bash using Welsh Slate. Not as a solid item, but two pieces from the same supply rubbed together to get a good slurry and then using the slurry. An ide of the Ceriums hardness would then allow me to figure a rough working time. Just as you said there "another 20 mins or so". With a soofter grained slurry I'd guess the work time would go up. Which I dont mind but dont want it to take forever to do the same job, as it were. Now I know slate is soft, but I use these things in the solid form to put a polish / hone on my knives which are made from 1095 carbon steel, stainless steel and 01 tool steel too. And man do those knife edges ever shine when you have honed them on the slate!
Many thanks mate, Andy.
Thats sounds like a good experiment. let me know how it works out. Not sure about the cerium
Bought 2 cerium oxide from Taobao (One red and one white)
Mesh is supposed to be 7500-800 for the red (classic?) one, and 9500-10000 for the white one
(Not sure is that vendor specific or general)
Wow, gorgeous piece. Nice job ♥
That's quite beautiful
Beautiful! Love it
I enjoy watching the process. But with a little smaller bit on that drill you could save the opal crumbs and fill cavities on the side.😉😁
Haha nice I have never heard of that before :-)
Hi Justen I m happy watching you for carving the Opal peace.....! Is the opal Silbe to be drilled...?
Parabéns! aqui do Brasil, acompanho seus vídeos, meu sonho é poder um dia ter uma Opala australiana, tudo de bom .
how much do u charge to shape a cabuchon,? I bought one from lightning ridge opal auctions, and not sure if I want to attempt it. its very beautiful, with many colors. looks like wood on the back.
Absolutely beautiful, thank you
Very helpful! Thank you.
Not sure if you mentioned it but how do we know what speeds to have our Dremel going at each stage in the process from rough to polish? Thanks
how do you get scratches out!!? plz help before the diamond tip size
Thank you so much!! 🙏🏻
I just bought my own dermal today for this 😁 I've never even seen opal in person or touched but your videos are amazing and they bring me real joy. I'd like to try and do everything you've talked about and shown in this video 😁 I have no idea where to purchase rough Opal, if you could say a website or a word that I should Google it'd be very very appreciated.
I googled your name and found what I was looking for and more 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁 I'm extremeeeemly happy. Hopefully some day soon you can give me an appraisal on a piece I've touched 😁 I'm excited, never even seen opal besides in your videos and now I'm going to try and carve some 😁 inspiring you are
Would love to see you make a star of life carving. (Of course I would, I'm a Medic)
It is hypnotic. Lol. Very nice. 👍all I have is a dremel, I'd like to try it. I am currently biding on a lightning ridge piece (rough). Hope I get it.🤞
Good luck!
Hi thanks for all the info! Which dremel are you using?
Hi Justin! I bought everything you used here (except some budget versions of things) and I’m wondering how you clean the opal between compounds and after your finial polish? Would you use a soft toothbrush and dish soap?
Where can I find a list of all the tools I need to carve opal
Giday mate, I'm just starting out and I would like to know where to buy the diamond paste from please? Also any tips you could give me would be great 😊. I'm starting using a Dremel. I'm going to practise on potch first and I'm wondering if it's exactly the same as grinding opal or is it harder than opal?
I love the polish you get on you opals, I can never get it as good as yours. Amazing
It takes time and experience. Don't give up :-)
Black Opal Direct don't worry I won't. I'm hooked... Just need to keep practising, watch all your videos again and buy some more opal soon, I'm just working through my last small pieces.
I just purchased a beginners rough parcel from you and was wondering where in Australia is the best place to purchase the Nova soft tips, felt tips and cirium (?sp) oxide? I have a dremel with a flex shaft and a few tips from various hobbies but they might not be suitable for lapediatry (?sp again lol). Thankyou for making all of these videos and sparking an interest in cutting opals in me.
Thank you for sharing
I love opal stone
what grit did u start with? will silicone carbide or aluminum oxide work?
good job .
Sooo beautiful!
Another high quality well shot and produced. Good Job Justin.
you're really good with carving when I heard you're not good as your father I thought you going to ruin the opal xD but you're really good with it if you had your father's skills you might save few carats but still you did the job at the right way very nice video and sorry about your father...
This video reminds me of being at the dentist 😂😂😂😭😭😭
Yep I feel that too haha
WhT brand is that dremel mate and how.much Re they worth to buy?
This is an amazing vid!! 👍
What grit of bits are you using????
How does one make a wooden tip?