Justin I love how you include the stones that disappoints when cut , it is a testament to the passion that you have for your craft and shows your viewers the actual ups and downs of the cutting process. I have watched other videos where they show nothing but home runs and to be honest it discourages a hobbyist like myself. Thanks for always keeping it real. P/S please do a follow up on the Script pattern with the hole in it , an opal inlay like the emoji or gold or silver or a cool gemstone would be amazing to see . That was definitely one of the top ten opals I have ever seen and it would be a shame for nothing to be done with it!
Those inclusions look similar to the script pattern,would they form into the pattern after a few more thousands/million yrs under pressure and heat.juat a thought when I saw them. Still got some good opal cut there,one iffy,other lovely.others will surprise you and us I'm quite sure. 😇😁
To be honest, it's possible that the inclusions would be visible from both sides. Unless Justin cut the other side, totally destroying the stone, we will never know.
Loved the intro... Actually laughed out loud after hearing , " Cut another opal!". 😂 Thanks so much for sharing with us! Love watching you cut opal... 😌
I've only ever had the pleasure of cutting I few opal , but my favorite part is the color reflection in the wheel when holding it near or against it shaping the stone . Opals are breathtaking.
The first stone looked like it had script pattern inclusions 🧐 but both came out looking great. There were no sad moments only suspenseful moments lol. Thanks for the video Justin 👍 have a good day✌️
Yay, finally someone else saw the gold script that was trying to show in the first one besides me. I called it child’s script bc it wasn’t complete, lol
Thanks for the chuckles. I needed them. Lockdown in Michigan looks to be ramped up. One of the hospitals here in town is at max capacity and has to ship patients to other facilities. You always make me smile.
LMAO... "You're going down..." I'm no gemhound, no experience with opal beyond looking at them. I am really glad I found your channel randomly a few months ago, very entertaining, informative and your work and the stones you liberate from the potch are truly beautiful... I love your videos. Thank you, Justin.
Thank you Justin for all you share. You've probably helped save me as an opal cutter. You and some other friends at least have me cutting rubs again and with some great results. Watching this one now because, I'm about to cut another handfull of 8mile rubs and a few mintabe greys I picked up back in the '90's.
Nice couple of opals Justin. They both looked good and you can't always cut a good stone. It keeps it interesting and surprising what you will cut. Well done and thank you
I actually really like the needle inclusions in the other stone, I feel like that is something that would sell well on Etsy. Kind of how people have taken a liking to salt and pepper diamonds. Its unique and beautiful in what is normally considered an against the grain POV.
Nature is perfectly imperfect, or the other way round!! I wouldn’t mind the inclusions, I think it shows it’s origins! Greetings from Lincolnshire 🇬🇧 x
Addicted to the opal videos! It makes me want to cut an opal and I don't even do that sort of thing. But my birthstone is an opal. And they are the most beautiful gem stone hands down
Thumbs up for that into :D Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm watching those videos for the Opal or because you are a really nice person and your excitement for Opal is flowing through the screen.
I wish to say thanks for your videos ! I really enjoy them ! I am a huge Opal lover , always have been in love with it and got my first wee chips ive ever had for my birthday- living in NZ i have no idea where to source them or who to trust . I would LOVE to learn your art and the art of Opal jewelry making , just such a shame i have noone to pass on that art to me or know any trustworthy people in Southland NZ that can teach me . Thanks for teaching me so much ! I love my wee opal chips , they may not be grand . But i love them and they are very precious to me
I think if it were me, I'd do a nice thick layer of black resin on the side that didn't turn out, then polish the other side to see if I could get some blues in there too & make the colors pop, then set it in a pendant. I love your work! Fun to see it all though, fantastic stones, even the disappointments are an opportunity for a jeweler to make the most beautiful piece out of the unique properties of any given stone. I'd love to have any stone you've cut! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I love watching you. So enjoyable to see the process and the final prize. But Justin, what stone did you decide to put in the opal you decided to keep, with the hole in it and the script (used to be Chinese writing?) pattern. Sure hope you show us the finished product. Fingers crossed. XO
Seeing you do this for as long as I have and having a good understanding of regular order and no isometric formation/depositary of crystalline matter im getting a good idea of what causes and dictate the bar of color after seeing those inclusions made things click into place
I like the finished first one. It had character. Different from the rest, when the light doesn't reflect the color you get the lines no harm done. I seen you do one that had the needles in it that were in color, i thought that was the prettiest i have ever seen and still do. I wouldn't settle for anything less.
Nutters! Glad you pulled a stone out of the one but sorry it was a great specimen. We enjoy watching the good and the bad. Thanks for keeping it honest and real!
Ok, I've been thinking it so often , I might as well just come out and say it: ❤❤you are such a ham!❤❤ Love the treasures that emerge from your skillful fingers and the colourful commentary that accompanies it.
I think that with crystal opal large enough for a pendant that you make it with an open back. That way the color of the shirt or blouse or dress you wear will affect the color of the stone. For example if you wear a black dress it will add thag black opal feel. Or if you use a whitd dress it gives it a whold nother view and makes it look like white opal. That would be a good idea for the clear opals.
Is it bad I want to sit here and watch you cut and polish the rest of that parcel? Sorry for the loss, and thank you for sharing. Very nice work again 🙂
Like you said, if it was a sure thing folks would not value them. Always a gamble but with your experience and eye plus mad skills I would bet you average better than most at this trade. You rolled the dice. Just the way it breaks sometimes. Thanks for show us all.
Most times you'll learn as much if not more from your mistakes. The crystal stone is beautiful. And so is the one with the inclusions. Even with the inclusions it's still much more beautiful than any diamond.
Thank you for keeping your videos real, sad happy all the in between. Their both very Beautiful stones, I love the first one more because it's not perfect. Keep on keeping opals Beautiful
Swings and roundabouts, Justin. That said, I actually think the inclusions add interest to the stone, which might be heresy from your point of view, because of the lost value in the final product. As long as the wins vastly outweigh the loses - it's all good. Thank for another great video.
Justin your intro was great!! I laughed so hard I almost sprayed my pizza. HILARIOUS!! ;D Seriously that was great. Anyone that missed that has no humor bone in their body. ;D BTW I'm 58yrs old and that was classic!! Further in to the video. I would've went ahead and checked the other side of the stone with the script looking inclusions. I would like to know if you ended up testing it. Thanks Justin!
If you get bored, maybe you could do a video on opal jewelry, or maybe opal throughout history, about the jewelry, mining, and cutting of the last century or more. Just a thought.
I really enjoy watching your vidos,thankyou Justin.I apreciate your professional insight. I look forward to seeing the next video.Kindest dregards from Craig.
Just bought a parcel from you and will do here and there as an investment. Won't be rushed to cut right away as ill try to accumulate a couple buys and later on when I'm good and ready ill be like and oh yeah I have a few things to work on
Thanks again for this video, we enjoyed them always as much. Wouldn't it have been worth stop cutting when you found the inclusions and bet on the other side. You may have had better colour even if less weight?
It’s Thursday, Yay, what time is your live steam tonight, eastern USA ? We lost power at 4:30Am from Hurricane Zeta aftermath. But power’s back on and all is charged. 🤞 my TH-cam Alerts don’t work on my iPad as it should. 🤯.
Really loved this video, very very interesting thankyou Justin. The inclusions looked like script writing, without the colour!. Its not often you see the fails, luckily you came back strong with a win! Thank you once again Black Opal Direct, for a ripper video, really enjoyed this one. And Justin your a scream, very funny indeed. Look forward to your next video.
Hi Justin, love your videos! A bit of constructive criticism if I may - the sound levels are a bit uneven. In one cut your voice volume is X, and then it cuts to volume X - 5, and then the next one the music is X+1 and your voice is X-1. So i was adjusting the volume while watching a lot. I use hitfilm to edit my videos (not this account) and it makes adjusting levels easy
Greetings! Nice job! Your honesty is refreshing. When inclusions are found in Fire agate-sagonites-they are rare and make the stone more valuable because of its uniqueness...be well!
Sir what do you know about ironstone boulder opal? I have a few peices but the cracks are small but very beautiful. Should I slice it and leave it rough so to speak ?
Love the humor, and your opal education you share with us. That totally makes logical sense about the veins running that way. I could only imagine the excitement and adrenaline the miners feel when they hit colour. Am I wrong to think that’s why some keep doing it? (Well, besides the ones wanting to be millionaires.)
A suggestion for a video: It would be great to get a primer on the characteristics of black opal from the different fields (viewing examples of rough) and the cutting challenges and insights associated with that type of opal.
Question Justin... Would the inclusions damage the structure of the stone? Reason I ask, even with those inclusions, a lot of people would be happy to buy that stone, not as a jewellery grade stone but as a specimen example.
Justin what about the green potch? I have a few peices I'm thinking about using my dremal and cleaning it but leaving it mostly natural. What would you do with it or suggest I do with it ?
you looked like the anime one punch man in this video, it was awesome. I love your videos, I keep having binge watch moments, I'm such a rock hound, your videos are informative, fun and I cant get enough, your the bob ross of opal cutting, even my husband has watched a few with me.
Still love to watch you cut opal no matter if it is good or bad. Just what they say, "That's just how the cookie crumbles." Just as you guys in the land of OZ say, "No worries".
A beautiful stone with imperfections like that screams, “I’m the real deal.” Both are amazing opals in their own way. ❤️
I think those inclusions look really cool, almost like it was going to create script pattern but changed its mind!
It does look like that
Glad I'm not the only one who thought of that!!🌹✨
I agree, i like inclusions in my rocks. Maybe not ideal for opal, but still pretty neat.
I was thinking the same. I really liked it :)
I was thinking the same exact thing! Like as if it cooked in the ground a little longer it would of been a beauty.
Justin I love how you include the stones that disappoints when cut , it is a testament to the passion that you have for your craft and shows your viewers the actual ups and downs of the cutting process. I have watched other videos where they show nothing but home runs and to be honest it discourages a hobbyist like myself. Thanks for always keeping it real. P/S please do a follow up on the Script pattern with the hole in it , an opal inlay like the emoji or gold or silver or a cool gemstone would be amazing to see . That was definitely one of the top ten opals I have ever seen and it would be a shame for nothing to be done with it!
I am glad you get it :-) Thank you for watching
The inclusions are actually beneficial, in my mind. It adds an interesting pattern to the stone.
I would rather have a large free-form stone with potch than a perfect oval. The inclusions help show it is real and not man made.
@@katpillar4131 ~ Man can fake the potch as well and it wouldn't surprise me if they did.
Those inclusions look similar to the script pattern,would they form into the pattern after a few more thousands/million yrs under pressure and heat.juat a thought when I saw them. Still got some good opal cut there,one iffy,other lovely.others will surprise you and us I'm quite sure. 😇😁
To be honest, it's possible that the inclusions would be visible from both sides.
Unless Justin cut the other side, totally destroying the stone, we will never know.
I cut it the wrong way totally
Goodness I was feeling quite depressed tonight and now I'm killing myself with laughter and I'm only about 30 secs in . Thank you!
Even with the inclusions, it’s still really pretty!
Unless it makes the stone weak, I LOVE those inclusions. It's like a completely different but similar oriental writing pattern!
The music/effects always gets me. So happy I found the riveting world of opal
Man, it looks like there's some beautiful blue on the other side of the first stone!
Loved the intro... Actually laughed out loud after hearing , " Cut another opal!". 😂 Thanks so much for sharing with us! Love watching you cut opal... 😌
Thank you for this lesson.
I've only ever had the pleasure of cutting I few opal , but my favorite part is the color reflection in the wheel when holding it near or against it shaping the stone . Opals are breathtaking.
The first stone looked like it had script pattern inclusions 🧐 but both came out looking great. There were no sad moments only suspenseful moments lol. Thanks for the video Justin 👍 have a good day✌️
Haha I agree.
Yay, finally someone else saw the gold script that was trying to show in the first one besides me. I called it child’s script bc it wasn’t complete, lol
Always enjoy watching. It's exciting to see what each rough has to offer as you are working on it.
Even the ones that disappoint are beautiful Justin. Thank you for sharing and making our lives more beautiful too.😃
Awww welcome Mary
Still legendary to me. Thanks for your channel. I have almost learnt the difference between real and fake. Great teacher!
Thanks for all your efforts. I like the way you show all the details, good or bad. First stone was a shame it did have beautiful colour.
Thanks for the chuckles. I needed them. Lockdown in Michigan looks to be ramped up. One of the hospitals here in town is at max capacity and has to ship patients to other facilities. You always make me smile.
I feel sad for you. I though get to see two beauties. Thanks again for showing us the ups AND downs.
LMAO... "You're going down..."
I'm no gemhound, no experience with opal beyond looking at them. I am really glad I found your channel randomly a few months ago, very entertaining, informative and your work and the stones you liberate from the potch are truly beautiful... I love your videos. Thank you, Justin.
Thank you Justin for all you share. You've probably helped save me as an opal cutter. You and some other friends at least have me cutting rubs again and with some great results. Watching this one now because, I'm about to cut another handfull of 8mile rubs and a few mintabe greys I picked up back in the '90's.
Nice couple of opals Justin. They both looked good and you can't always cut a good stone. It keeps it interesting and surprising what you will cut. Well done and thank you
You have me salivating seeing the rest of that parcel. I want to watch you cut them all!
I actually really like the needle inclusions in the other stone, I feel like that is something that would sell well on Etsy. Kind of how people have taken a liking to salt and pepper diamonds. Its unique and beautiful in what is normally considered an against the grain POV.
Thank you for sharing your gift and craft . I love watching and learning from you.
Don’t ever change, Justin!
But my clothes will smell.
Lmao.... that’s for real
Thanks for adding the "sad" parts! It sure helps with the let downs of opal rough and the unpleasant suprises
Ok its not ruined I really like those needles I would wear it think its unique
Nature is perfectly imperfect, or the other way round!! I wouldn’t mind the inclusions, I think it shows it’s origins! Greetings from Lincolnshire 🇬🇧 x
You are right in that respect :-)
I get so excited when we're able to see a stone that's polished on both sides.
Learning curve on the first stone, sharpens the skill set. You do good work.😍
Addicted to the opal videos! It makes me want to cut an opal and I don't even do that sort of thing. But my birthstone is an opal. And they are the most beautiful gem stone hands down
Thumbs up for that into :D
Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm watching those videos for the Opal or because you are a really nice person and your excitement for Opal is flowing through the screen.
I wish to say thanks for your videos ! I really enjoy them ! I am a huge Opal lover , always have been in love with it and got my first wee chips ive ever had for my birthday- living in NZ i have no idea where to source them or who to trust . I would LOVE to learn your art and the art of Opal jewelry making , just such a shame i have noone to pass on that art to me or know any trustworthy people in Southland NZ that can teach me . Thanks for teaching me so much ! I love my wee opal chips , they may not be grand . But i love them and they are very precious to me
I think if it were me, I'd do a nice thick layer of black resin on the side that didn't turn out, then polish the other side to see if I could get some blues in there too & make the colors pop, then set it in a pendant. I love your work! Fun to see it all though, fantastic stones, even the disappointments are an opportunity for a jeweler to make the most beautiful piece out of the unique properties of any given stone. I'd love to have any stone you've cut! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I love watching you. So enjoyable to see the process and the final prize. But Justin, what stone did you decide to put in the opal you decided to keep, with the hole in it and the script (used to be Chinese writing?) pattern. Sure hope you show us the finished product. Fingers crossed. XO
I agree please do a follow up on the script pattern stone!!!!! Please please please!!!
Yes! This!
I love watching you work. If you didn’t do what you do, we would never get to see these beauties. Thank you for your art of uncovering hidden beauty.
Seeing you do this for as long as I have and having a good understanding of regular order and no isometric formation/depositary of crystalline matter im getting a good idea of what causes and dictate the bar of color after seeing those inclusions made things click into place
Informative. Thanks for sharing the two sides of expectation versus result.
I already bought 3 opals from you but I constantly want more. I have a problem
It’s a good problem haha
I like the finished first one. It had character. Different from the rest, when the light doesn't reflect the color you get the lines no harm done. I seen you do one that had the needles in it that were in color, i thought that was the prettiest i have ever seen and still do. I wouldn't settle for anything less.
Would you ever consider doing a video on examples of men’s opal jewelry?
We'll pop that on the list for future videos :)
Nutters! Glad you pulled a stone out of the one but sorry it was a great specimen. We enjoy watching the good and the bad. Thanks for keeping it honest and real!
Ok, I've been thinking it so often , I might as well just come out and say it: ❤❤you are such a ham!❤❤
Love the treasures that emerge from your skillful fingers
and the colourful commentary that accompanies it.
there it is nothin but the truth and real day 2 day comings and goings with the opal master BLACK OPAL DIRECT....great vid mate
I love this video. So great to see life being so good for you and your family. Your energy is very uplifting. Thank You … 💎🌟💚
Thank you so much!
Came to this channel for chill opal cutting experience stayed for Justin's great humor and shenenningans xD
..
And also opals ofc!
Hahah Awesome! Thank you!
I think that with crystal opal large enough for a pendant that you make it with an open back. That way the color of the shirt or blouse or dress you wear will affect the color of the stone. For example if you wear a black dress it will add thag black opal feel. Or if you use a whitd dress it gives it a whold nother view and makes it look like white opal. That would be a good idea for the clear opals.
wonderful ... i am always very happy to see Your Work here! Best wishes from Switzerland!
Thank you so much 😀
Is it bad I want to sit here and watch you cut and polish the rest of that parcel? Sorry for the loss, and thank you for sharing. Very nice work again 🙂
That light coloured crystal? opal is STUNNING I wouldn't usually be interested in opal from a jewellery fanatic point of view but wow thats stunning.
Like you said, if it was a sure thing folks would not value them. Always a gamble but with your experience and eye plus mad skills I would bet you average better than most at this trade. You rolled the dice. Just the way it breaks sometimes. Thanks for show us all.
Most times you'll learn as much if not more from your mistakes. The crystal stone is beautiful. And so is the one with the inclusions. Even with the inclusions it's still much more beautiful than any diamond.
I love the quirkiness! Keep up the nice videos Justin!
🙏
Always enjoy your videos Justin!! Thanks
Thank you for keeping your videos real, sad happy all the in between. Their both very Beautiful stones, I love the first one more because it's not perfect. Keep on keeping opals Beautiful
Thanks for watching!
This stone turned out so beautiful
you never fail to entertain and make us laugh and give us the real thing , appriciation of real beautiful stones
I've enjoyed your videos, and I find it interesting to see where the "rough patches" (as it were) are in your profession. Thanks for sharing with us.
Glad you like them!
Swings and roundabouts, Justin. That said, I actually think the inclusions add interest to the stone, which might be heresy from your point of view, because of the lost value in the final product. As long as the wins vastly outweigh the loses - it's all good. Thank for another great video.
Omg Justin
Your father taught you well
Its our 25th anniversary next year an i want one of your opals watch this space. Enjoyed the video as always.x
Thank you. He did and was a good man. I will be here when you are ready 🙏❤️
@@blackopaldirect im on it Justin. Stand by
Fantastic work as usual...I was trying to post a picture of a rub that I just purchased, I think it'd make a really nice pendant.
Greetings on a miserable cold day in Ottawa. Always happy to watch opals cut!
You still live in a beautiful place
Justin your intro was great!! I laughed so hard I almost sprayed my pizza. HILARIOUS!! ;D
Seriously that was great. Anyone that missed that has no humor bone in their body. ;D
BTW I'm 58yrs old and that was classic!!
Further in to the video. I would've went ahead and checked the other side of the stone with the script looking inclusions. I would like to know if you ended up testing it. Thanks Justin!
If you get bored, maybe you could do a video on opal jewelry, or maybe opal throughout history, about the jewelry, mining, and cutting of the last century or more.
Just a thought.
Loving your work sir , keep them coming
I really enjoy watching your vidos,thankyou Justin.I apreciate your professional insight. I look forward to seeing the next video.Kindest dregards from Craig.
Thanks Craig
It might not have gone to plan and it wasn't a bundle of laughs all the way through - but it was fascinating and very informative, thank you again😊👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Please do a video about the different opals. Lightning Ridge vs. other regions where the opals come from.
I just love your sense of humor..
I love what a totally goofy dork you are! Thanks for the educational entertainment.
Hey I resemble that comment. 🙏😆
I love the one with the inclusions which give it character. Who cares about value?
Just bought a parcel from you and will do here and there as an investment. Won't be rushed to cut right away as ill try to accumulate a couple buys and later on when I'm good and ready ill be like and oh yeah I have a few things to work on
I’m in love 😍
Your voice is mesmerizing
Thank you I just tried talking to myself but it did nothing for me. Haha thank you for the kind words. I love that you watch
Thanks again for this video, we enjoyed them always as much. Wouldn't it have been worth stop cutting when you found the inclusions and bet on the other side. You may have had better colour even if less weight?
It’s Thursday, Yay, what time is your live steam tonight, eastern USA ? We lost power at 4:30Am from Hurricane Zeta aftermath. But power’s back on and all is charged. 🤞 my TH-cam Alerts don’t work on my iPad as it should. 🤯.
Are the two boulder opal in the background from the Australian Opal Hunters show? They look really familiar.
Haha no they have just been sitting there for years
Such a great teacher 👍
Your acting is getting better by the day Justin. 😊😊😊
Really loved this video, very very interesting thankyou Justin. The inclusions looked like script writing, without the colour!. Its not often you see the fails, luckily you came back strong with a win! Thank you once again Black Opal Direct, for a ripper video, really enjoyed this one. And Justin your a scream, very funny indeed. Look forward to your next video.
Thank you top cat :-)
Hi Justin, love your videos! A bit of constructive criticism if I may - the sound levels are a bit uneven. In one cut your voice volume is X, and then it cuts to volume X - 5, and then the next one the music is X+1 and your voice is X-1. So i was adjusting the volume while watching a lot. I use hitfilm to edit my videos (not this account) and it makes adjusting levels easy
Greetings! Nice job! Your honesty is refreshing. When inclusions are found in Fire agate-sagonites-they are rare and make the stone more valuable because of its uniqueness...be well!
I love the cutting videos, can’t wait 😃
Sir what do you know about ironstone boulder opal? I have a few peices but the cracks are small but very beautiful. Should I slice it and leave it rough so to speak ?
Beautiful work.
I don't mind the sad parts. I like seeing the real struggles that go with opal.
Enjoyed watching your videos beside the educational u also add some crazy acts. 🤪🤪🤣🤣🤣. Never get bored. You have a fun personality.
Love the humor, and your opal education you share with us. That totally makes logical sense about the veins running that way. I could only imagine the excitement and adrenaline the miners feel when they hit colour. Am I wrong to think that’s why some keep doing it? (Well, besides the ones wanting to be millionaires.)
Its all about the gamble like gold fever
Awesome Justin. Any video is a great video
A suggestion for a video: It would be great to get a primer on the characteristics of black opal from the different fields (viewing examples of rough) and the cutting challenges and insights associated with that type of opal.
I second that!
Is there technology to scan a rough opal before cutting to see what's really there?
From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with love ❤
What kind of Cab grinder is it that you use and what grit are the wheels? I dont remember seeing it in your videos?
Question Justin...
Would the inclusions damage the structure of the stone?
Reason I ask, even with those inclusions, a lot of people would be happy to buy that stone, not as a jewellery grade stone but as a specimen example.
it'd be great to have a run through of all the equipment you use on a daily basis?
Justin what about the green potch? I have a few peices I'm thinking about using my dremal and cleaning it but leaving it mostly natural. What would you do with it or suggest I do with it ?
you looked like the anime one punch man in this video, it was awesome. I love your videos, I keep having binge watch moments, I'm such a rock hound, your videos are informative, fun and I cant get enough, your the bob ross of opal cutting, even my husband has watched a few with me.
Haha thank you
Still love to watch you cut opal no matter if it is good or bad. Just what they say, "That's just how the cookie crumbles." Just as you guys in the land of OZ say, "No worries".
The inclusion on the one reminded me of the script stone with out the color.
Should call that first opal Justin because it is full of character just like another Justin we know! :-)